Rose
by DJK2087
Summary: Tony had been watching them for over an hour now, and it was making him sick. How Steve managed to hide a girl from the team for three years, a beautiful one at that, was still a mystery to him. The worst part was that they were, dare he say it, cute. It was absolutely disgusting! Steve/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to my new story. I feel like there aren't enough Steve/OCs out there which is a real shame, so I decided to write one of my own. This story will take place after the first Avengers, through the Winter Soldier storyline (briefly), and ending with Age of Ultron. The goal is to post a new chapter every Sunday at some point. I have the entire story mapped out with over half of the chapters written out already. Hopefully, everything will run smoothly, and I will get the entire story out to you all without waiting forever for uploads. Fingers crossed.**

 **Anyway, enjoy the first chapter and let me know what you think. Reviews are always appreciated as well as ideas for upcoming chapters.**

* * *

The first time they met was by accident. Madalyn Hewitt knew that Steve Rogers was in the city. Everyone did, but she never thought that she would be lucky enough to meet him in person and at the Smithsonian no less. Talk about ironic. Madalyn, one of the lucky ones that was chosen as a chaperone of the second grade field trip, was keeping an eye on the ten children she was in charge of as they scattered around the exhibit, trying their best to answer the questions to the scavenger hunt in record time so they could win the prize. She couldn't help but laugh as the little runts ran back and forth between the different exhibits about The Star Spangled Man with a Plan. She felt sorry for the guy. That song was terrible.

So there she was, watching a bunch of rowdy kids while catching up on her reading, _General Patton: A Soldier's Life,_ appropriately enough. She had a love of history since she was a little girl. All kinds, and with a long line of military men in her family, it was hard not to have an appreciation for military history as well. When a loud holler came from her left, Madalyn closed her book with a groan, waiting for her niece to run up to her like she had five minutes ago. She was never going to finish her book.

"Aunt Mady! Aunt Mady! Jenny, won't listen to me!" a little girl exclaimed, her scarlet pigtails bouncing around her face as she and another child darted out of the exhibit to the small table she was occupying. "I told her! I told her answer to the question and she won't listen! She thinks it's something else. Tell her, Aunt Mady! Tell her I'm right!"

"That's not true!" the second girl, Jenny, cried. "I read the question and then I read the paragraph on the wall. I'm right, Miss Hewitt! I know I am!"

"What was the question, Jenny?" Madalyn asked them, hoping the stares that were on them would soon go away. Nothing was worse than children having a meltdown in a public place.

"What was the name of the plane that Captain Steve Rogers crashed into the ocean that saved millions of people?" Jenny answered, reciting the question word for word.

"And what do you think the answer is, Taylor?" Madalyn asked her niece.

"I said it was the Red Skull."

"I see, and what do you think the answer is, Jenny?"

"It's the Valkyrie," she stated as a matter-of-factly. "I read it on the wall and one of the videos even talked about it. I'm right!"

"No, you're not! I am! Right, Aunt Mady?"

"I'm sorry, Taylor, but Jenny is right on is one. The plane was called the Valkyrie. The Red Skull was the evil man that Steve Rogers defeated back during World War II. I bet that's an answer to the scavenger hunt though isn't it?"

"Yeah!" both of the girls shouted. "I'm sorry, Jenny."

"It's okay, Taylor. Let's go and finish this so we can win the prize!"

"That kid is going to be the death of me." she shook her head, flipping her book back open. "All right, George, let's find out what was going through that brilliant mind of yours."

"Excuse me, ma'am. Would you mind if I sat with you? Every other table in the sitting area is full."

"Not at all," she took her bag that took up the empty chair, placing it on the floor beside her, doing a double take as the man sat down across from her. He looked like he was trying so hard to blend in to not be noticed by everyone else. A ball cap hanging low over his face, and the collar of his jacket popped for extra security. The only thing missing was those stupid, hipster glasses that people wore nowadays for absolutely no reason. "That is if you don't mind sharing this tiny table with me and the occasional eight-year-old or five."

"That's fine by me. Thank you," he said. "Is this place always so crowded?"

"Well it is the Smithsonian, so I am going to say yes," she answered, folding her arms over her book that she knew was never going to be read now. "I'm not surprised. Who wouldn't want to come here and learn about the miraculous life of one of the bravest men in American history?"

"That's saying a lot," she didn't miss the blush that formed on his cheeks. "For a person you don't really know. Only what's been written in books and such."

"A valid point, but you can't deny that what Steve Rogers did for this country wasn't shy of spectacular. Who knows where we would be if he hadn't done what he did? He was an incredible man, and I for one would give anything to meet the man in person. To ask him about all of the great things he did, ask about what life was like back during the greatest generation. It must have been something else."

"It was," she caught him mumbling.

"I'm sorry?"

"Oh, I was just agreeing with you," he smiled softly. "I bet it was."

Nice save, Captain. Mady thought, seeing her niece running back towards her. Again. Had five minutes gone by already?

"Aunt Mady! Aunt Mady, you need to come and see this!" Taylor pulled at her hand. "It's so cool!"

"Okay, okay, cool your jets, Taylor," she laughed. "You wouldn't mind watching my bag would you?"

"No problem at all."

"Thanks," she smiled, following her niece who held onto her with an iron grip. "All right, kiddo, what am I supposed to come and see?"

"Come look!" the excited child pulled her over to the row of manikins in the middle of the room, each wearing the suits of the Howling Commandos with Captain America in the middle. "Isn't this cool?"

"It is very cool," Madalyn nodded, noticing the children staring at the display in awe. "Can anyone tell me who's who without cheating by looking up at the signs?"

"That's Bucky Barnes!" Nathan pointed with a shout.

"And Dum Dum Dugan!"

The kids were smart. She would give them that or they cheated, but Madalyn loved the enthusiasm radiating from the second graders. The kids continued listing off the heroes when the teacher, Mrs. Travers, rounded them all up for one final video. That was her que to head out and grab her belongings.

"I apologize if I took a while. Eight-year-olds, what can you do?" she spoke, glad to still see him still here, sneaking a peak at what he was doing with his sketch book. "Thank you for watching my bag. Did you draw those?"

"It's nothing really," his face reddened once again. "Just some doodles. Your niece seemed really excited about showing you a certain part of the exhibit."

"She was," Madalyn chuckled, placing her bag on her shoulder. "It was nice meeting you. I would have loved to have talked a bit more, but it seems time is not on my side today. Maybe we'll see each other again."

"That would be great, Miss-"

"Madalyn Hewitt. Everyone calls me Mady," she shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Mady," he replied. "Steve Rogers."

"Well, Mr. Rogers, I must be off. Eight-year-olds can't last in a place like this all day."

"No, no, they can't."

"You know this from personal experience?"

"Or just by observation," Steve motioned to the exhausted group exiting the theater. "Those kids are going to sleep well tonight."

"Try the bus ride home," Mady wrapped her arms automatically around her niece who had done a complete one-eighty within three minutes. "Ready to go back to mom and dad, kid?"

"Do I have to?"

"Unfortunately, you can't stay with your awesome aunt all day no matter how much you want to."

"You're no fun," Taylor groaned.

"I know. Time to go back home," Mady heaved the girl's small backpack up onto her bare shoulder. What did she put in there? It was much too heavy for a seven-year-old. "Until next time, Mr. Rogers." She couldn't help but salute as they walked away.

"Until next time." He waved back.

"Who was that Aunt Mady?" Taylor yawned. "He looked like Captain America."

"That's because it was Captain America, Taylor."


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, a giant thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed the story so far. You guys are awesome! I hope all of you will stick around until the very end. I can tell you now it's going to be a fun journey. I won't hold you up, so enjoy this chapter and as always reviews are appreciated.**

 **Miki Rukia – No, thank you! I love receiving reviews for my stories. It's what keeps me going. Mixing in with the crowed is not one of Steve's strengths I'd imagine.**

 **Guest: CJ/OddBall** **– But who doesn't love those classic clichés? I should tell you now before we continue, but I may have some of them appearing here and there. Like this chapter for instance. How can I not? They're useful in some ways. I'll just leave this here because you'll most likely have something to say after this chapter anyway.**

 **Rosemary – Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed the first chapter.**

 **Musicluver246 – The wait wasn't that bad I hope.**

* * *

The second time they met, Mady was sure God was joking around with her. But really, what were the chances of seeing the guy again? Washington D.C. had a lot of people. It was very unlikely that their paths would cross again.

About a week or so after they had introduced themselves to each other, she had spotted him, making her way around the Lincoln Memorial, finishing up her final mile that morning.

"I have to know what your mile is? A minute? Forty-five seconds?" she asked, walking up behind him. "You would kick ass in a marathon. Are you even winded?"

"M-Mady, what are you doing here?" Steve jumped around.

"What? Is the National Mall a private place to run?" she questioned. "I didn't know I needed a special invitation."

"No! No, of course not. I didn't mean it like that. It's just, I'm here every morning, and I never see you around," Steve rubbed the back of his neck. "Do you run here often?"

"Nice save, Rogers. I try and run when I can. This is my favorite spot in the entire city. It's nice and open. Unfortunately with my busy schedule I don't get to come out here that much, but since this is my first day off in almost two months. I decided to use my day to its full potential," Mady explained. "That usually means starting out with a five mile run on a good day."

"Two months?" Steve was surprised. "What do you do, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm a doctor over at Children's National."

"Wow, that's really impressive."

"Thank you," she said. "So, have you had any breakfast yet?"

"Um, no. I was just going to head back to my apartment to-"

"Have you been to Finnegan's?" Steve shook his head no. "Come on, Steve. It'll be my treat. They have the best pancakes."

"I don't want to impose. It being your day off and everything. I'm sure a nice dame like you has a lot of things that you need to get done."

"What makes you think you would be imposing?" she asked, heading towards the café across the street. "Maybe my day would be better with you joining me for breakfast. I wouldn't mind the company, and I bet it gets lonely in that apartment of yours all by yourself."

"Maybe a little bit," Steve answered truthfully. "If you're sure?"

"Positive," she all but pulled him to the outside seating. "Trust me, you're going to love this place."

Steve had to agree with her, the café was pretty nifty. The food was as great as Mady had described it, but the conversation between them had to be what he liked the most. Something about her made him feel comfortable, and that made him really happy. He wasn't sure if she was just being polite or if she really didn't know who he was. It was refreshing though, not having to talk about saving the world and being Captain America. He was just Steve Rogers to her.

"So what is it that you do, Mr. Rogers?" Mady asked, playing dumb while going to town on her blueberry short stack. "Besides running around the reflecting pool, staying up in your apartment by yourself, and wandering around museums that is."

"Funny. Currently, I'm getting used to the city," he answered. "I just transferred from New York."

"Military?"

"Something like that," he nodded. "Have you always lived in here in Washington D.C.?"

"Not always. I grew up in Richmond actually."

"What brought you here?"

"Job opportunities I suppose," she had to think about it for a bit. "And the history of the city, not that Richmond doesn't have any history to it or anywhere else for that matter, but it's Washington D.C."

"You like history?" he was shocked. "It seems like everyone that I talk to says it's a waste of time, and it's boring."

"Yeah, well most people don't understand how helpful knowing history is. You know what they say; those who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it. It was also been my favorite subject in school. I know. No one says that anymore."

"Do you have a favorite time period in history?" Steve was intrigued by this woman now.

"This might sound horrible, but I find most war time very interesting. That might just be from my family's background, but there's just something about it that draws me in. I would say the Civil War is my favorite. World War II would be a close second."

"That would explain the book you have at the museum the other week," Steve said.

"How observant of you."

"I try," They smiled at one another. "Um, I was wondering, if you want to that is since I understand that you're a very busy person, so if you say no I completely understand-"

"Steve."

"If you'd want to go out and get a coffee or something sometime," he finished. "But if you have no time, I understand like, I said."

"This doesn't count?" she joked.

"Not really what I had in mind."

"Well, in that case I would love to," Mady beamed. "Do you have your phone with you?"

"Ugh, yeah," he fumbled with his pockets. "I'm still not used to it yet though. A friend of mine tried to help me, but he's a genius when it comes to this stuff, so there wasn't much helping done when explaining how to use it."

"Those sneaky Apple products," she said, adding herself to his contacts. "Androids are better anyway. There you go. Message me anytime. It might take me a bit to reply if I'm at work, but I'll let you know when I'm free."

"Great," Steve took his cell phone back, admiring her handy work. He really needed to learn how to do that. "Maybe you could show me some more of the city, if it wouldn't be too much trouble. I bet you're an expert."

"I'd like that," she snatched the check before he could. "I told you it would be my treat didn't I? You can get the next one, and in return I can show you the best sites. The ones that the tourists don't know about."

"I can't let you pay for this-"

"I wouldn't fight me on this one, Steve. I could have you on the ground in two seconds flat," she told him, feeling strangely bold for some reason. "It was great having breakfast with you, but all good things must come to an end. I'll be waiting for your call. Don't keep me waiting, Captain." She kissed his cheek, winked and then headed towards her apartment.

Steve froze. So she did know. Was he really surprised? Not really. Ever since the battle of New York, people walked up to him all the time when he was out and about, asking him all kinds of questions. At the beginning he didn't mind, but as time went on Steve stared to dislike all of the attention. Yes, he had helped fight aliens when they flew out of the giant wormhole in the sky, but that was his job. There was nothing more to it.

Getting to his feet, Steve looked in the direction where she had headed only to find an empty road. Strange. There was no way she could walk that fast. He quickly opened his contacts, all five of them…six now, and sent her a message. He didn't even care if it was too soon. He needed answers. _How did you know and why didn't you say anything before?_ The wait was excruciating, and he made it all the way back to his apartment before receiving an answer. _A hat might work for some people, but not me. Maybe you should invest in some fake glasses for the next time._ Okay, maybe his disguise wasn't the best, but still. What was her reasoning behind pretending not to know who he really was?

Steve couldn't respond. He didn't know what to say. Was he angry? Kinda. Happy? Not really. He liked being Steve Rogers to her not Captain America. What was he going to do?

* * *

Mady wasn't sure what to do. She had a feeling that Steve was mad at her. He didn't reply when she sent her message over forty minutes ago. The more she thought about it, she couldn't really blame him. Maybe it would have been better for her to wait and let him tell her who he was. It seemed that they weren't going to go out and get coffee any time soon.

"I am such an idiot!" she shouted. "Way to go, Hewitt. Way to freaking go! This is why your single, you dumbass! Maybe Kelly will know what to do," she picked up the phone that she tossed on the side table and called her best friend.

"This better be good news," Mady laughed. "I have ten minutes left on my break. Some of us actually have jobs to do, you know."

"You're hilarious, Kel. Besides, if I recall correctly, you had off a few days ago so don't give me that bull," Mady said. "Listen, I need some help. You know you're my go to when I have guy trouble."

"Guy trouble?" it was amazing how quickly Kelly's tone changed. "Do go on, I am very interested."

"I think I messed everything up already, and I've only seen the guy twice."

"You've been dating someone, and you haven't told me about it? How dare you!"

"No!" Mady shouted, making her way into the living room, flipping on the news. "I'm not dating him. I met him at the Smithsonian a few days ago and then ran into him at the Mall today. We had breakfast, and I said something stupid. What do I do? Help me, oh wise one!"

"Please tell me you didn't do your Jack Nicholson impression. You know that's why Daniel dumped you. He was so cute!"

"No, I didn't do a Jack Nicholson. But you know I can do a killer Nicholson impression," Mady retorted. "Besides, Steve is way cuter than Daniel."

"Keep telling yourself that, sweetie," Kelly replied. "Steve huh? He sounds like a cutie, but I need proof. Send me a picture of him or something, and I'll let you know. Your taste in men is questionable."

"Trust me, Kell. He's perfect," she let out a loud sigh. "What do I do? After what I said, there's no way he'll want to talk to me anymore. Let alone go out."

"Maybe you're overreacting," Kelly suggested. "What did you say to him?"

"Right now I can't tell you," she answered, collapsing onto the couch. "Considering who he is; it's pretty bad."

"Who he is? I don't like where this is going, girlie. Maybe it's a good thing that you messed up. He could be bad news."

"He's the furthest thing from bad news!"

"I'm not going to shake you from this am I?" there was a long pause before Kelly continued. "Do you have his number? Call him up; tell him to meet you so you can apologize. Nothing is simpler than that."

"I don't, but he has mine," Mady grabbed the nearest pillow and groaned into it. "Maybe I'll just be single forever. I should just buy twenty cats now and get started on being the crazy cat lady."

"You won't be single forever. You're one of the coolest ladies I know," Kelly reassured her. "You just need to find the _right_ guy. I guess you just have to wait for him to make the first move regardless of how long that takes. If you don't want to be the one to make the move that is."

"This isn't the advice I was looking for, Kel."

"Tough," Kelly laughed. "Look, I have to get back to work. We are swamped today. You are so lucky you are off today, but you're still coming over to dinner this weekend right? The kids are dying to see you."

"You know I'll be there," she said. "Shelly would kill me if I didn't."

"You got that right, sister. Talk to you soon, and keep your head up. All is not lost."

"Thanks," Mady tossed the phone onto the adjacent chair. "I'm such an idiot."


	3. Chapter 3

**A big thank you to everyone who is taking the time to read and review this story. I am very glad you all are enjoying it. We all know the usual clichés that are put into most Steve/OC stories, and I couldn't help myself. We already had the running one, and this chapter will add another. The most obvious one in my mind, but who wouldn't want to help Steve Rogers get back into the real world and teach him things that he missed? I would love that job. There will be one more cliché in this story, but you'll have to wait and find out for yourself. Feel free to guess as the story continues. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Twifan1987 – Every Sunday!**

 **Gilyflower – I am surprised that no one else spotted this. I wanted them to. Oh well, you must be more observant than most, or others didn't bother saying anything. Good job!**

 **CJ/OddBall – Who wouldn't be worried in that position? I would probably be worse. I hope this chapter was to your liking, and I can't wait to get your feedback!**

* * *

A few days later, Steve realized that he was going to have to make the first move. He just didn't know how to do that. All right, that was a lie. He could obviously put on his big-boy pants and call her. Stop being a little baby and get the awkwardness done and over with. If only the woman wasn't in his head constantly. Then he wouldn't have this problem.

"It's because you like her," he mumbled to himself, observing the recruits going through the drills he had put them through. He forgot how tiring breaking in new recruits was. "What am I going to do?"

"Talking to yourself, Cap?" Natasha Romanoff chuckled, joining him on the balcony. "That's the first sign of insanity you know? I think your real age is catching up with you, old man."

"You're hilarious, Romanoff," he deadpanned. "What are you doing here? I thought you were doing one-on-ones with Rumlow today."

"I was. Giving him a bit of a break right now though," she answered. "I might have gone a little hard on him. He's going to have a shiner for a while."

"Really?" Steve asked. "That's impressive. He's one of the best recruits."

"And that's why you're the captain, Captain," Natasha rested her arms against the railing. "So why exactly are you talking to yourself? It must be something important. Usually you're down there with them, showing the recruits up and all that."

"It's nothing."

"The look on your face says differently, so spill."

"There's this woman-"

"Hold the phone!" Nat interrupted. "Steve Rogers knows a woman? I feel like I am obligated to tell the tabloids. This is huge!"

"Please don't," he said. "I'm having enough problems as it is, thanks."

"Start from the beginning, please. I need some context here."

And so he did. In full detail Steve told Natasha about the lone woman he saw at the Smithsonian who just so happened to be chaperoning a field trip for her niece's second grade class, all the way to the running encounter, breakfast, and then the awkward moment that left him in this conundrum.

"Really?" Nat snickered once he was finished. "That's what has you all hot and bothered? What's this lady's name?"

"Madalyn Hewitt," he answered without hesitation. "She's something else, Natasha, but I don't know how to-"

"So she knows who you really are, so what? Just about everyone else in the world does too after that little stunt in New York. You have an entire exhibit in the history museum dedicated to your life, what's the big deal? Did she fangirl all over you?" she asked, already knowing the answer to the question.

"What?" these new terms and phrases were so confusing.

"When she first met you, did she freak out? Did she want to get your autograph? Did she want to get a picture with you? When you had breakfast did she ask you all about Captain America or did she ask about Steve Rogers?"

"Captain America never came up until she left the second time."

"Which was only as she left where she didn't even use the entire title," Natasha rolled her eyes. "I think the best thing for you to do is called her, text her, whatever, and just talk it all out. It's obvious she wants you to make the move first because I have a feeling she feels bad about what she said. You really couldn't figure that out? I thought you were supposed to be smart."

"You know I don't have the best record with women, Natasha," he sighed. "What if I'm already a memory to her now? She's a doctor, beautiful-"

"You think she forgot about you and moved on after what, two days?"

"Three."

"That doesn't matter," she shook her head. "Call the poor woman already. I bet she has the phone attached to her hip waiting for you to be a man and call her."

"You think?" Steve perked up at the thought.

"You won't know until you try."

"I guess," he rubbed his neck.

"Just do it!"

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait! It's been three days, and he still hasn't called you?" Kelly shouted in the breakroom of Children's National. "What a jerk! Maybe you should think about ditching him. I bet he's a player. There are probably women lined up around the block for him."

"I think he doesn't know what to do," Mady spoke silently, playing around with her leftovers from last night. "He's the shy type."

"That's what he wants you to think," Kelly pointed her fork at her friend. "It's like college all over again!"

"Whatever you say, Kel" she sighed. "I just don't think he's like that. There's something going on. Maybe he's busy. Maybe he's-"

"Stop making excuses, and get over it. There are more guys out there. Be that kick ass girl I know you are and get out of this funk!"

"You know, it's not as easy as you say it is," Mady said. "Not everyone got to meet their sweetheart in high school."

"No, I suppose not. Not everyone can be as lucky as me," Kelly grinned. "What? What's got you looking like someone ran over your dog. You know if you had one?"

"Steve's calling me!"

"Well, damn girl, answer it!" Kelly exclaimed. "You've only been attached to your cellular device for the last forever."

"H-hello?" Mady answered, feeling nauseous.

"Hi, Mady. It's Steve." He sounded just as nervous as she did.

"Hi. Um, how are you?"

"I'm well. You?"

"Just busy working," she replied.

"Oh, if I called at a bad time I can call you later. I don't want to get you in trouble with your boss or anything."

"It's fine, Steve. I'm on my break right now." She couldn't help but smile a bit.

"That's good. I didn't want to interrupt or anything. I bet you're on the move most of the time."

"Eh, I'm never bored when I'm here," she said.

"I can imagine," Steve chuckled. "Well, I was wondering if you were still interested in that coffee. I think we have some things we need to discuss."

"I couldn't agree more," Mady agreed.

"Would tomorrow work for you?" he asked.

"Um, I have to go into work at eleven, but I could meet you before my shift starts," she offered. "If that works for you of course."

"Sure."

"There's a café across from the hospital if you want to meet there unless you're really far away." Mady told him.

"That sounds great. I'll see you tomorrow morning then," he said. "Say nine-thirty?"

"Perfect. See you then."

"All right. Good bye."

"Bye Steve," Mady hung up, beaming at her best friend. "That wasn't so bad."

"Look at that, my best friend's got herself a date. You're going to tell me how it goes as soon as you walk in here tomorrow morning. Do you understand?"

"It's not a date, Kel," Mady giggled, tossing the rest of her lunch into the trashcan. "But I will be sure to tell you how it goes. I have to go. Work to do and all that."

"That's not an acceptable answer!" Kelly hollered, laughing at her friend left the breakroom.

* * *

"See, Steve, was that so difficult?" Natasha asked with a smirk, once he got off the phone. "Are you meeting up with Madalyn soon?"

"Yeah, tomorrow morning before she heads into work," he said. "That wasn't so bad. You were right."

"I told you, you were over reacting," she said. "Rumlow's finished for the day, and I would assume the others are as well. You were on the phone for a bit longer than I thought you would be, so I guess that means we're done for the day. How lucky to be out before two pm? Have any plans later?"

"Not really," he shrugged. "Probably relaxing until we have to be back for more training tomorrow."

"More like getting ready for your hot date in the morning."

"It's not a date," Steve exclaimed. "Who said it was a date?"

"A man and a woman going out for coffee? Sounds like a date to me."

"Well it's not so you don't need to worry about any of that," Steve said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Don't forget, you have to tell me all the details from your date when you get here. And don't leave anything out."


	4. Chapter 4

**Since we were given the new Civil War trailer today, I decided to update a few days early in celebration. That being said, I might not update again on Sunday. If I manage to go through editing the next chapter in a decent time, I will. Maybe if I get a nice amount of reviews, I will have more motivation to give you another chapter…hmmm.**

 **CJ/OddBall – Great question. Those two are keeping their friends in line that's for sure. I want friends like them. I couldn't agree more. Coffee is practically the "getting to know you" go to. It's all right, I've only been on one date, and that was back in December. We're in the same boat.**

 **Supesfan18 – Thank you so much! What? Nat spying on them? That is such a Black Widow thing to do. That may or may not happen in the future, but I'm not telling. You'll just have to wait for more.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Mady was freaking out. Today was the day. The day where she would make things right between her and Steve, and she was going to do it without making a complete fool of herself. Again. She decided to drop off her things at the office before making her way across the street to the café. Much to her surprise, Steve was already there, seated at one of the many empty tables, sketching something on the tablet in front of him. Okay, maybe it wasn't that much of a surprise.

"Good morning, Steve," she announced with a coffee in hand.

"Mady," Steve rose to his feet, pulling out the chair for her. "Hi, it's nice to see you."

"Thank you," she whispered, taking the empty seat. "It's nice to see you too. I hope you haven't been waiting that long, usually I'm the early."

"No, not at all," Steve shook his head. "I like being early. You look nice. I mean-not saying you didn't look nice before when we first met, but- well, this is embarrassing."

"Thank you," she couldn't help but blush. "Yeah, I decided to put in some effort today. So, I'm going to go for it and get it all out in the open. I'm sorry for the way I ended our last meeting. I shouldn't have said what I did. I should have waited for you to feel comfortable enough to tell me. I apologize, and I completely understand if you never want to speak to me again."

"No!" Steve exclaimed, causing her to jump slightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to shout, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Yes, I was upset at the beginning. I enjoyed being just Steve Rogers to you. Not Captain America, the superhero who goes around the world fighting bad guys. I feel like that's the only person people want. They don't care about a kid from Brooklyn. I really would like to continue speaking to you. You're one of the only people who make me feel like a normal human being since I've woken up."

"And that's what ran through my mind the minute I said it," Mady sighed. "I say things before I think about it sometimes. That's one of my many weaknesses. Why don't we start over? Hello, I'm Madalyn Hewitt. Call me Mady. Almost everyone else does."

"Hello, Mady," Steve shook her hand. "I'm Steve Rogers most people know me as Captain America."

"I think I'll stick with Steve, thanks," Mady grinned, finishing the last of her coffee. "So, Steve, what do you like to do when you're not chasing bad guys and saving people's lives?"

"Well," he thought for a moment. "Right now, I go running in the mornings and try to catch up on all of the things I missed while I was under the ice."

"And how is that going for you?" Mady asked, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Not very well to tell you the truth," he answered honestly. "So much has happened in the last couple of decades that I feel like I won't be able to ever catch up. I kind of figured a lot has happened, it being seventy years of history and all. I just never thought it would have been this much."

"I have a feeling you're very overwhelmed," she replied. "You know, if you wanted, I could help you. We could go over some things. Make a dent in some of the more important events that have happened. Any little thing would help right?"

"Really?" Steve asked. "I-I don't want to be an inconvenience for you. I feel like doctors these days don't have much free time on their hands."

"I'm sure we could work something out, and I do have some days off as you know. Not many or all the time like normal people, but occasionally," Mady told him. "Besides, you're in Washington D.C. there are so many resources at your fingertips. Just make sure you take in all of the information with a grain of salt and form your own opinions. Get the facts first. D.C. can be pretty biased depending on who you talk to and where you get your information from, so draw your own conclusions."

"Biased?"

"I'm not sure how bad it was in the 40s, but today, everyone puts their own spin on every possible thing. Read anything you want, but make sure you keep an open mind, learn the facts, and go with your gut."

"Good to know," Steve shook his head. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Mady beamed, checking her watch. "I'm sorry to cut our lovely meeting short, but I have to get going. I have a heavy workload today. Maybe we could get together again? We could start going over some stuff if you want to make a list or something."

"I would like that very much."

"Great," she said. "I'll see you later, Steve."

"Have fun at work."

"I'll try my best."

* * *

"I know that face," Kelly pointed her finger at her friend the minute she walked into the office. "That's your 'something good has happened to me' face. Spill it, girlie! And don't leave out any details."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Kel," Mady replied, pulling on her coat. "We had coffee. We talked. That's about it."

"You're blushing," Kelly pointed out. "You didn't just talk. Something else happened. I said all of the details, woman!"

"What could we have possibly done? We were in public for no longer than an hour and twenty minutes," Mady paused. "Wow, it didn't seem like we were there that long, and it's not like there is anything wrong with talking."

"Of course there isn't anything wrong with talking!" Kelly held up her hands defense. "So, are you going to see him again?"

"That's the plan," Mady grabbed the first file in the stack on her desk. "Looks like it's going to be an exciting day. At least I have mostly check-ups. No surgeries until next week. I'll see ya when I see ya. If I see ya that is."

"Don't think this talk is over, little miss! We have to talk about what you're going to wear when you two go out again."

"Oh Kel, what would I ever do without you?" Mady laughed to herself, making her way down the hallway towards her first patient of the day, an eight year old boy who was having some back pain. Strange for a young child. "How are we doing today, Carter?"

"Hi, Dr. Hewitt," he grinned, his legs kicking back and forth on the table, his mother grinning from the chair beside him. "I'm doing much better than yesterday."

"That's great, buddy," Mady grinned, taking a seat. "Hello, Mrs. Sanchez."

"Good morning, Doctor."

"Does your back hurt right now?" she asked the boy.

"Not really," he looked to his mom like most kids his age did.

"He said he had some trouble sleeping last night," Diana Sanchez answered for him. "I gave him some Advil which seemed to help because when he woke up he said that the pain was gone."

"I'm glad he was able to get some sleep," she dropped his file onto the desk. "Can you lay on your stomach for me, Carter?"

"Sure!" he answered enthusiastically, flopping onto the crinkled paper faced down.

"All right, I'm going to press my fingers down on your back. You tell me if you feel any pain, or if that's where your pain was. Got it?"

"Got it!" Carter gave her the thumbs up. From what his chart said, most of the pain had been in his lower back. Something she would associate with a compressed nerve. If only Mrs. Sanchez put down he played a sport. Lightly, she pressed her pointer and index fingers against his back; thankfully the young boy didn't jump like some older kids with this problem. "That's where my back usually hurts."

"That's the only spot?" she asked, letting the boy sit up.

"Yeah," he shook his head.

"Do you play any sports, Carter?"

"I'm on the soccer team!" Carter beamed, practically bouncing on the table. There it was. "It's really fun. I play with all of my friends."

"When you were playing soccer one day, did you hurt your back?"

Carter was silent, looking at his mom again.

"The little league team was having a tournament last weekend," Diana explained. "They were playing one of the harder teams, and Carter got tripped. Another player fell on top of him. He didn't complain about any pain until three days ago, and even then it was on and off."

"That would explain the pain," Mady stated. "By the way your son explained the pain, where it is, and the fact that he plays a contact sport, in my personal opinion, I'd say Carter has a compressed nerve, nothing serious since the pain isn't constant. It's common among athletes, but since your son is still young, I would definitely suggest that he take some time off to make sure that there is no more pain. Since he's still growing that is."

"You hear that, Carter," Diana turned to her son. "You need to take some time off from soccer to relax and get better, okay."

"Aw, mom, do I have to?" he whined. "I can't even play with dad in the back yard?"

"You heard what Dr. Hewitt said," she answered. "You can play with your dad when your back doesn't hurt."

"And since you haven't felt any pain since you went to bed last night, I think you'll be back to normal pretty soon," Mady chimed in. "It'll shouldn't be longer than four days."

"Four days without soccer?" the boy's eyes grew wide. "That's like forever!"

"I bet there will be plenty of things for you to do, Carter," Mady said, closing his file, turning to Mrs. Sanchez. "And if for some reason his back starts acting up again bring him in, and we'll take a closer look."

"Thank you," Diana grinned, helping her son into his coat. "What do you say, buddy?"

"Thank you, Dr. Hewitt," he hugged her knees.

"You're welcome," she patted his back, following the mother and son out the door.

One down, at least twenty more to go.

* * *

"So what's the good news, Cap? Are you and your lady friend on speaking terms again?" Natasha asked as they and the rest of the S.T.R.I.K.E. team were preparing to go out on a small mission.

"Yes, we are," Steve secured his shield onto his back. "We're going to meet up again some time, and she's also going to help me go through some of the things I missed."

"How nice of her," she said. "I guess I have to keep my eye on you then. You know to make sure you make it back all right. Can't have you lose your chance at love this quickly."

"Chance at love?" he questioned. "No one said anything about-"

"You're on your way already, buddy. She already makes you happy. You can't deny that. One doesn't mope around because there's a woman who doesn't mean anything to them. You are a lot more relaxed now than you were before," she explained. "There's nothing wrong with that. You just need to make sure she doesn't compromise any of our missions. We need you at your best."

"You don't need to worry about that, Romanoff."

"Good."

"Cap, Widow," Rumlow entered the room. "Everyone is suited up and ready to go."

"Good, I hope you're all ready for this," Steve turned his attention to the man. "This one should be a nice and easy. We might even be back before dinner time."

"That's always good news." Rumlow spoke, following Steve and Natasha to the hanger where the rest of the team was locked and loaded. "What are we doing again?"

"Some goons got a hold of some Chitauri weapons in New Jersey. They're selling them on the black market." Natasha answered as they loaded themselves into the jet.

"New Jersey has a black market?" Rumlow asked.

"There are black markets everywhere if you look hard enough," Natasha replied, taking her place in the pilot's chair. "ETA fifteen minutes, boys."


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow, over 2,500 views for Rose so far. Thank you all so much! That deserves another update. This will probably not happen again, so I hope you enjoyed it while you could. Like I previously mentioned, this is where the second cliché comes into play, but I don't think you'll all mind that much anyway. Also, after looking over all of the chapters I have done, I have realized that I have a lot of time between certain chapters. If anyone has any ideas of what they want to see, send me a message, or mention it in a review because I would love to hear them.  
**

 **CJ/Oddball – Let's be serious, it's impossible to not fall in love with Steve Rogers. Mady has absolutely no chance.**

 **Writeratheart101 – Thank you so much! Keep on reading and let me know what you think.**

 **Peoplers – I cried when I watched that trailer, I got my tickets already; there is no way I am making it out of that theater alive. I hope you keep on reading this story, and let me know what you think.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

"Right on time," Mady whispered, making sure her apartment was somewhat clean when she heard the knock on her apartment door right at seven o'clock that night.

This was the first time the two were able to get together after their chat at the café. With her crazy work schedule and Steve heading out on missions or whatever it was that he did, it was hard to find a time that worked for them. Sure, they texted one another on a daily basis, but it just wasn't the same as being face-to-face.

Roughly three weeks later, Mady had gotten off of work at a somewhat decent time, and Steve had time to himself before he would be sent back out on a mission. Mady suggested that he come over to her place. At first Steve wasn't sure that was a good idea even though he was aware that a man and woman hanging out didn't make anyone bat and eyelash anymore, but there was still something about it that made him slightly uncomfortable. After some pestering on Mady's end, he gave in, but how could he say no to her?

"Welcome to my humble abode," she smiled, stepping aside to let him in. "I hope you like pizza. I ordered plenty of it."

"I love pizza," he answered, handing her a bottle of wine. "I was told it is customary to bring a gift so, for you."

"Thank you, make yourself at home," he followed her to the living room, Mady placing the bottle of wine on the counter. "So what would you like to tackle first?"

"Well, I wouldn't say I picked one thing, I narrowed down my list," he pulled out a piece of paper from his jean pocket. "I had some help with the technology stuff, still getting used to it, but it's starting to make sense to me now."

"That's probably the biggest blow you had wasn't it? Going from lever pulling and button pressing to swiping a screen with your fingers and having everything you would ever need in the palm of your hand."

"Just about," he nodded. "Sorry, it's still pretty big."

The list really was. An entire page full, both front and back, of subjects that Steve wanted to know more about. What had S.H.I.E.L.D been doing with him when he was living in New York City? The first thing that should have been done was getting him back into the world he had just woken up in. It would have benefitted them in the long run to teach him how things were now-a-days, but it seemed like all they cared about was having Captain America on their team.

"I have an idea," she said, making her way to her bedroom, grabbing the present that she planned on giving him at a later point in time. "I was going to give you this later, but I think it will be of much better use to you now."

"You got me something?" he was surprised. "You didn't have to. Now I feel like you something in return."

"Don't worry about it. Besides, you got me wine remember," she waved him off. "I'm here for you remember, and I figured this would be a helpful tool for when you get tired of hearing me talk. I found this book at Goodwill actually, and even I found it quite interesting. I was thinking about keeping it for myself when I spotted it on the shelf, but I thought I'd better not. It only goes up to the year 1999, but it's a start. Merry Christmas. Happy Birthday. All that jazz."

"Thank you," he took the book from her hands, flipping through its many pages.

"I'd imagine you know the first quarter of the book really well, but most of it should be of some use," Mady commented while he flipped through it. "I bet I could find something like this for the 21st century if I looked hard enough. I think Amazon would be my best bet."

"Mady, this is-" Steve couldn't believe she would do something like this for him. "This is wonderful. I don't think I can thank you enough."

"Oh, this is just the tip of the iceberg, buddy. It's going to be a long journey for the both of us. I hope you're ready for it," she bit her bottom lip the second she stopped talking. "That was a really bad analogy. I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Steve replied. "You're right. This is just the beginning. I've got a long way to go before I understand at least half of what people are talking about, and I don't think I'll get tired of hearing you explaining things to me."

"Ha! You say that now, but give it a few weeks. You'll probably hate me, and ditch me for someone else," she laughed. "Anyway, most of the major events you will find in there you will find documentaries and movies for. That way if you get bored of reading about them, you can watch it."

"Thank goodness we have the internet right."

"You are correct. It's kind of crazy how much we as a society depend on the internet and technology as a whole. I'm glad I had none of it growing up. Kids today don't know how to function without the stuff."

"Yeah, I kind of got that back in New York," Steve told her. "When I would walk around the city everyone had their heads down, looking at those screens, all but ignoring one another."

"It's really bad," she agreed. "I don't know how they don't walk into other people."

"You're telling me. This Elvis Presley was a popular guy wasn't he?" Steve asked, noticing the singer appear on multiple pages throughout the 1950s.

"Oh yeah," Mady nodded enthusiastically. "My mom absolutely adored him. A lot of people did when he was alive. There are people who impersonate him for a living," she couldn't help but giggle at the reaction she got from the man. "I'll have to take you to Las Vegas some time."

"I'm not sure how I feel about that," he replied, remembering some of the things Tony had told him about that city. "There is just so much stuff in here, I don't know where to start. I'm sorry; I should have had something in mind for us to do."

"Steve," she placed a hand on his arm. "You don't need to apologize to me. If I was in your shoes I would be just as overwhelmed. You can just go through the book if you want while you're here. I'll answer any questions you have, or I'll try to answer any questions you have. I may like history, but there are some things I know better than others. This is all for you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, but I might have to put some music on. I can't stand the quiet. I could put The King on if you want."

"The King?"

"It was Elvis' nickname," she went to her iPod charging on the dock. "I apologize if I start singing and doing the occasional choreography. The love of Elvis has been passed down to me from my mom."

"I don't mind, I bet you have a beautiful voice," he paused, turning as red a tomato. "I mean, um-I'm sorry, that was inappropriate of me."

Did Steve not know how adorable he was when he was flustered she couldn't help but wonder as she started her Elvis playlist. Yes, she had an Elvis playlist.

"I hate to break it to you, but I cannot sing well very well at all. At least, I don't think I can. No need to be embarrassed."

"Still, I shouldn't have said that," he buried his nose back into the text. His thoughts flashing back to what Natasha had said to him the other week. "You've been nothing but kind to me. There shouldn't be any of that going on."

"Whatever you say, Steve. You don't mind me going over some work while you read do you? It's just some stuff from the hospital. We can start digging into that pizza too."

"I don't mind at all," he answered. "I have a feeling this isn't how you pictured the night to go."

"Not really, but I like it. No stress, Elvis, and pizza. Sounds like a great night to me."

"I'm not complaining."

"I didn't think you would. I'll be right back."

At the beginning of the night, Mady wasn't sure what was going to happen. She feared that things would have been awkward, and they would have nothing to talk about, but that wasn't the case. As Steve read, she managed to get through her reports with little conflict. She'd have to have a chat with the receptionists when she went back into work on Monday, but other than that she got through without wanting to punch a hole in the wall unlike most nights.

"Wow, you're that far already?" Mady couldn't help but sneak a peek over his shoulder. "Refill? More pizza?"

"Please," he shut the book, bending the corner of the page to bookmark where he stopped. "I think I'm going to stop now before I get carried away. I can't believe it's been over an hour. Why didn't you say anything? You must have been bored."

"Not really. Besides you were enjoying yourself," she replied from the kitchen. "We really went to town on that pizza. I can make something if you're still hungry."

"I'm fine thank you," Steve replied.

"So, what have you learned?"

"The 1950s sounded like a great time. I definitely want to look up some more information about it. Those Sock Hops sounded like the bees knees."

"A decade that I wouldn't mind visiting if I had my DeLorean," she snickered. "Bees knees huh? That'll take a while to get rid of."

"Don't make fun of my vernacular," he stated. "What's a DeLorean?"

"Do you have plans tomorrow, captain?"

"At the moment no, but it could change. Why?"

"We are going to start crossing off the movies that everyone must watch before they die. Shall I make us some popcorn?"

"If you want to," he answered. "Should I be concerned?"

"Not at all," Mady reached into the pantry to grab on of the many microwavable popcorn bags she had in her possession. "This is one of the best movies in the world. Completely my opinion of course, but I think you will agree with me when it's over."

"What is this movie called?"

" _Back to the Future_."

Mady couldn't help but think of her parents and the first time they had watched the film together as a family. Was this what she was like when they watched it together? Steve couldn't keep his eyes off of the screen throughout the entire movie. Well most of it anyway. There were some parts where he would glance away, red in the face with embarrassment. He would need to get over the embarrassment quickly, or he was never going to make it. That and swearing. He was in a war for God's sake; he had to have the mouth of a sailor. What was his problem with a dirty mouth?

"How can the movie end like that?" he exclaimed once the credits started to roll. "Right when Doc gets back! What's going on in the future? I need to know. Do we figure out what happens?"

"That's what _Back to the Future Part Two_ is for," she answered, glancing over at the clock. "Wow, ten –thirty already. Where did the time go?"

"There's a second one?" he asked in awe.

"And a third one," she added. "But I think we should continue with this mini marathon another time."

"As much as I want to find out what happens right now, I would have to agree with you," Steve said, getting to his feet. "Thank you for this. I had a great time. We need to do this again. Especially after watching that wonderful movie."

"You're very welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I might have to expand your Disney horizons." Mady smiled. "Safe travels back to your place."

"Thanks," Steve smiled in return; putting on his coat, book in hand. "I'll talk to you later then."

"I look forward to it."


	6. Chapter 6

**I just have to say that you guys are amazing! Thank you all for taking the time to check out my story, and I hope you stick around until the very end. Since you are all so wonderful, here is a long chapter for you to enjoy.**

 **For those of you who actually care about the timeline of this story, which let's be honest is probably only me, a month has gone by from the last chapter to this one. I needed to get the ball rolling somehow. You can all use your imagination when it comes to what Mady has been helping Steve with over that period of time. In this one, you get to meet some of Mady's family members.**

 **Maniac at Midnight – Thank you so much!**

 **CJ/Oddball – That would be an interesting situation for Steve wouldn't it? He would have no idea what to do! Thanks for the idea. I might sneak that in the story somewhere, but not for a bit since it's not summer yet. Don't even get me started on all of the ideas running through my mind about who is/who isn't going to die.**

 **imagine forevermore – You are too sweet! Thank you for taking the time to review.**

 **ILoveThee – Thank you!**

 **AomeAzakura – Thank you for your review! I am really glad you are enjoying the story so far.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

She was finally done. Hours of slaving away in the kitchen, since seven in the morning to be exact, she was finally finished cooking. How her mother managed to do this every year was befalling. Mady was dead on her feet, and she only had to cook for five people.

Swearing to herself when she glanced at the clock, Mady checked the turkey then made her way to her bedroom to change into something more appropriate for her folks. Her father would have a fit if he showed up to her house for Thanksgiving, and she was still in her pajamas.

Twenty minutes later, Mady heard a knock on her door. Of course they would arrive early. Looking herself over once more, she made her way to the front door, opened it and was immediately engulfed into a tight embrace.

"Madalyn, it's been far too long," her mother, Linda cried, squeezing her tightly to her chest. "You look fabulous. Where did you get those boots? I'll get a pair when we go out shopping later."

"Thanks, mom," Mady smiled, hugging her father and younger brother once Linda let her go. "I've had these for a while. Kelly got them for me for my birthday. Come on in. I hope there wasn't too much traffic on the way in."

"It's Thanksgiving, Madalyn," Marcus, her father, chuckled as they followed her into the kitchen. "It smells wonderful in here. Did you make the good potatoes?"

"Are there bad potatoes?" she asked. "I just hope I did mom proud. What can I get you all to drink?"

"Water for me. I don't think drinking before shopping all night will be wise," Linda hung her coat up in the closet, noticing the extra plate at the table. "Five spots? Who are we missing, Madalyn?"

"I bet you love that you're going with them, aren't you?" she nudged her younger brother, Jared, in the stomach with her elbow. "Oh, I hope you don't mind. I invited a friend over to have dinner with us. He doesn't have any relatives close by so I figured why not."

"He, huh?" Marcus narrowed his eyes at his daughter. "Is there a man courting my daughter that I don't know about?"

"No, dad!" her face reddened. "It's not like that. He's just a friend. And who says courting anymore? I mean really."

"I do," he stated. "I hope this "friend" of yours doesn't make us wait too long. I'm starving!"

"I can guarantee you that he-" there was another knock at the door. "won't be long at all. Take a seat. I'll be right back."

The closer Mady got to the door, the quicker her heart began to race. Were her hands getting sweaty? What was up with that? Why was she nervous? Steve had been to her place dozens of times. All right, maybe not that many, but enough. They were really good friends and this had never happened before. All lies of course.

Every time they got together, Mady couldn't help but grow fonder of the man. Falling asleep on the couch with him the last time he was over when they watched _Dirty Dancing_ didn't help either.

After a long day at work all she wanted to do was to go to bed. Steve had surprised her that night with Chinese takeout, his second favorite delivery after pizza he decided. There was no way she could turn him away. He brought her food for God's sake!

He listened while she told him about her hectic day as they ate; the movie playing in the background. The next thing she remembered was waking up with her head on his chest, and his arm around her waist. Thankfully Steve was sleeping too because she had a feeling that he would have been just as embarrassed as she was.

"Hey, Steve," she smiled, trying her best to ignore the beating in her chest as he stood in front of her. "Make yourself at home. You're right on time. My folks and Jared just got here."

"Thank you, um. I brought some pumpkin pie," he sounded nervous. Was he freaking out that some of her family members were there too? At least she wasn't alone.

"Perfect," she stepped to the side. "Mom, Dad, Jared, this is my friend Steve."

"Well, hello there, Steve," Linda met her daughter's eyes. "I'm glad you could join us."

"Holy Shit! It's Captain America!" Jared shouted. "Sorry, that was insensitive of me, but I never thought I'd meet him in real life. Dude, you are awesome!"

"Yeah, try not to swear," Mady caught the man beside her flinch. He hadn't grasped the concept that most people swore on a daily basis. "Steve's not used to people swearing all the time. Now let's eat. Dad, would you do the honors?"

"Sure thing, pumpkin," everyone around the table bowed their heads. "Lord, today we give thanks for everything that we have in our lives. We thank you for keeping everyone healthy and happy as we continue living our lives doing your work. I am blessed to be here with my wife, and two of my children, as well as our guest who has done amazing things for this great nation. Thank you for watching over Jared as he made his way through the front lines, making his way back home, and healing his wounds. Without you he would not be here today. Amen."

"Amen," Mady looked around the table. "Dig in everyone. If it's not good like mom's, keep it to yourself. I don't want to hear it."

"I'm sure it's wonderful, darling," Linda told her. "I didn't teach you a thing or two after school for ten years for nothing."

"Let's hope all of those lessons stuck with me then," she glanced at Steve who was trying his best to not throw everything onto his plate all at once. "Don't worry Steve, I made extra of everything. Take as much as you want."

"It all looks so good; I don't know what to have first."

"The turkey is delicious," Marcus answered. "As are the potatoes, corn, stuffing…."

"I get it, dad. I did a good job," she rolled her eyes. "And please make sure all the food is eaten today. I don't want any leftovers."

"You don't?" Jared asked. "You don't want any leftover turkey for turkey sandwiches? What's wrong with you?"

"No, I'm fine," Mady answered. "Wow, this is good turkey. Good job, me."

"I'm so sorry that you have to put up with her," Jared spoke to Steve. "Feel free to ditch her if she gets too crazy."

"Wow, I love you too, baby brother," Mady stuck her tongue out at him. "Ignore everything this one says."

"I'm sure Steve can make his own decisions, thanks," Jared retorted. "So, how do you like D.C. so far? A bit different from New York I'd imagine."

"It's not so bad," he answered between bites. Mr. Hewitt was right, the food was delicious. "There's a lot of history here. It's really helpful when trying to fill in the 65 year gap."

"I couldn't agree more, Steve" Marcus announced. "There are so many resources at your disposal. You'll be caught up in no time."

"I hope so," Steve nodded. "Mady has been helping me a lot as well."

"I bet she has. You've always been a history buff," Linda addressed her daughter. "Have you read up on anything of interest? Anyone? Actors? Musicians?"

"No, Mom, he doesn't like Elvis as much as we do," Mady couldn't help but interrupt knowing where she was going. "I told you she would go there, didn't I?

"What?" Linda answered in awe. "How is that even possible?"

"I didn't say I didn't like him," Steve explained. "Some of his songs I find quite enjoyable, but I wouldn't say he's a favorite of mine."

"I suppose I can accept that for an answer," she pointed her fork at her daughter. "Stop trying to give me a heart attack, young lady."

"No promises," Mady smiled as they continued on with their meal.

* * *

"I don't think I can eat another bite," Jared groaned from the couch, setting the plate of pumpkin pie on the coffee table. "I don't remember the last time I ate so much."

"Try last year, dumbass," Mady snickered, piling up the leftovers into a Tupperware container for her brother to take with him. "And don't think you're getting out of all of this turkey. Think of all the sandwiches _you_ can make."

"Do I have to?" he whined. "Why don't you want it? You made it! And I thought you said no swearing. Breaking your own rules! Not fair!"

"But you are a dumbass, and because I said so," she answered. "Mom, Dad, are you sure you don't want to stay here for the night? Jared's place isn't the most comfortable. Or clean."

"Hey! I resent that," he exclaimed. "Mom! Tell your daughter to quit making fun of me!"

"We'll be fine, Madalyn. It's only for one day," Linda answered. "Besides we have a lot of shopping to do. I don't want to bother you when we get back around four in the morning."

"Four in the morning?" Steve spun around from his spot on the living room couch.

"Did my sister forget to inform you about the heinous day known as Black Friday?" Jared rolled his eyes. "It's the worst day ever! I can't believe I let you talk me into going with you this year, mom! Dad, why can't we just head back to my place and call it a night? Watch some football when we get back and then hit the sack when it's over. I see nothing wrong with this plan."

"Because I told your mother I would accompany her this year, Jared." he replied. "Besides, there are some things that I need to get, and I saw that some of them are on sale."

"Black Friday is supposedly the best shopping day of the year," Mady explained to Steve. "People wait in lines for hours so they can be first to get into the store and get the best sales."

"It sounds ridiculous," he commented.

"It is!" Jared threw his arms up in the air dramatically.

"On that note, I think it is time that we head out," Linda hollered. "We have just enough time to drop the leftovers off and make our way to the mall. Macy's is starting at nine this year."

"I hate this so much!" Jared groaned, getting to his feet, tossing his head back. "I think you should switch with me, sis. Steve and I can hang out. Talk military history. That's my specialty, man. If you have any questions just call me up."

"You are so full of crap, and if you would want more in-depth military history, Steve, talk to my dad. It's his specialty. Ignore that one of there."

"You are literally the worst!" he said, following his parents toward the door.

"You two always make the holidays interesting," Marcus chuckled. "Thank you for the wonderful meal, Madalyn. We'll see you in a few weeks. Steve, it was a pleasure. I hope we get to see you again."

"It was nice meeting you too, sir, ma'am," he shook their hands, nodding to Mady's brother. "Jared."

"Saved the best for last. Rogers knows what's up." Mady pushed her brother out the door.

"Have fun shopping with mom and dad, little brother!" Mady snickered as they left. "He's going to want to kill himself before the night is over. Mom will make him carry all of her bags too I bet. Want some coffee?"

"Sure," Steve answered, helping her clean up the rest of the kitchen. "You're parents are very nice. Jared is too."

"Don't let him hear you say that," she laughed. "He won't leave you alone, but thanks. I love my parents. We've always been close. My brothers and I have our good days and bad days."

"Was this a good or a bad one?" he asked, accepting the mug from her hands. There went those stupid butterflies again. What was up with him today? "I really appreciate you inviting me here for dinner. You didn't have to do it, but I am very grateful that you did."

"You're one of my best friends, Steve, whether you like it or not," the both of them collapsing onto the couch. "There was no way I was going to let you spend the holiday by yourself, and his was a good day."

"I think I would be insulted if I wasn't one of your best friends," he replied. "I don't think I hang out with anyone as much as I hang out with you. That definitely qualifies as best friends, doesn't it."

"I would certainly hope so," she grinned. He had opened up to her so much over the last couple of weeks. Much more relaxed too. "So, it may be a little premature seeing as it's still technically Thanksgiving for a few more hours, but while you and my dad were having some manly bonding time, my mom was talking about Christmas, and she wanted me to ask if you wanted to join us in Richmond. You have some time to think about it and everything, but I would really enjoy your company."

"I would love to join you and your family for Christmas," her heart jumped. "But Fury is sending me to Europe on the first. I don't know if I'll be back in time. He said it might take the entire month. I would have loved to go with you though. It would have been fun."

"Oh," so much for that idea. "That's all right. Don't worry about it. It would be selfish of me keeping you all to myself, wouldn't it?" she turned her attention to the television.

"Mady, are you all right?" Steve wasn't sure what was going on. One minute they were getting along like usual, but now she was acting strange. Had he done something to make her act this way? He couldn't recall. Mady's attention was on the two football teams that neither of them cared for, so why was she watching? "Did- did I say something wrong?"

"What? No! God no, Steve," Mady exclaimed. "I'm just, I guess I was just looking forward to having you spend Christmas with us. Stupid really, since I was enjoying the moment before even asking you. I am such a blonde sometimes."

"But you are blonde," he pointed out, taking her hands in his. "I wish I could go with you. I really do. If Fury didn't give me this mission I would go with you in a heartbeat, but I'll be back before you know it. We can do something for New Year's."

"You could be gone the entire month, Steve," she squeezed his hands tightly. That's the longest we've been apart since we've met."

"Are you keeping track?" he cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Pff, no," she scoffed. "Why would you think that? You're crazy."

"You know, I don't think I believe you."

"Have I ever steered you wrong?"

"There was that one time-"

"Shh!" Mady launched herself forward, clamping her hands over his mouth. "Don't you dare, Rogers! We both agreed to never speak of that again! Now stay here so I can get you your Christmas present."

"Wait, what?" he whipped around, watching her retreating form enter her bedroom. "You got me a Christmas present?"

"Of course I got you a Christmas present, you silly man," she returned with a large bag. "I didn't get to wrap it though. I thought I would be able to give it to you in person on Christmas or close to. Oh well."

"But I didn't get you anything. I-I didn't know we were-" he stammered.

"Steve, don't worry about it," she put her hand on his arm. "Just come back in one piece for me. That can be my Christmas present from you. Deal?"

"Deal," he nodded before opening the bag.

"As much as I love your brown bomber jacket, I thought you could use a bit of an upgrade," she explained as he pulled out his gift. "Uh oh, what's that look for? What did I do this time?"

Steve wasn't sure what to say. The lump in his throat was back for the second time that evening. Natasha was right. Again. He hadn't been planning on falling for the woman that sat before him so quickly, but he was. It wasn't love. Not yet anyway. That would be way too soon, but he couldn't help but feel something that was obviously more than friendship. Mady had done so much for him in the last couple of weeks; she was incredible.

"Mady," there was no way he could say what was on his mind. That in itself would ruin everything they had. "I can't-I don't-"

"It's not refundable so you're keeping it, buster," she spoke. "I saw you looking at those jackets when we went to the mall the other week. About time too. We can't have a superhero walking around with the fashion of my grandfather now can we?"

"You amazing," he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly.

"Who paid you to say that nonsense?" she giggled, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders.

"It's true. No matter what you say."

"Will I be able to see you before you leave?" she asked, readjusting herself on the couch, his arms still wrapped around her.

"I'll make sure of it," he replied, butterflies erupting in his stomach when she rested her head on his chest. Just like the last time, only this time it wasn't an accident.


	7. Chapter 7

**VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION BELOW! PLEASE READ!**

 **Now that I have your attention, I have a very important question that I need input on for this story. Would you all prefer me to keep the rating the same and imply fun, sexy times between our two characters, or should I up this puppy to M? Let me know what you think! P.S. fun, sexy times won't be for a while yet, but I wanted to know now so I could start adding them into the chapters I have finished already. Thanks everyone!**

 **Happy Easter!**

 **CJ/Oddball – Yeah, Mady's family is pretty cool. Just wait until you meet the rest of them. Black Friday is so stupid. My mom and I went once and we didn't even get out of the car. Pointless. There are plenty of other shopping days where one can get great sales.**

 **Maniac at Midnight – Thank you! Oh, you know, eventually.**

 **Queen of Erebor – And every time I receive a review as sweet as yours it makes me smile. Thank you so much for keeping up with the story!**

 **Peoplers – I can't wait for that part too. The party in Age of Ultron was the first chapter I wrote funny enough. I think you will enjoy it a lot.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

The last three weeks had been the longest three weeks of Mady's life. She had been right. Being away from Steve for so long was slowly going to kill her. The first week had been fine. It was like any other day or week the two were too busy and couldn't find any time to meet up with each other, but as the days continued on, the greater the aching grew inside her chest. Never again she decided. They would never be apart this long ever again. Maybe, if she prayed hard enough, Steve would come back sooner than originally planned. That would be the best Christmas present of all.

"Remind me again why we had to get here a few days before Christmas," Jared complained, slamming the car door shut. "It can't be to help mom and dad with the decorations. Have you seen the place? It looks like Santa threw up out here. I can only imagine what the inside looks like. At least there aren't any of those stupid blow-up lawn ornaments like there are down the road. What were the O'Neill's thinking? One I can accept, but twelve? Ugh, I'm glad I don't live here anymore."

"Quit being such a scrooge, Jared," she followed him up the sidewalk, her bag heavy on her shoulders. "It's Christmas. Be happy that we have some time off to relax and enjoy being with our family."

"You are so miserable right now aren't you?" Jared laughed, flinging the front door open. "Mom! Dad! Your favorite child has arrived! Don't worry I brought Mady along for the ride too. Watch out though, she's in major pouting mode."

"What? What's wrong, dear?" Linda rushed in from the office to their left. "Oh, sweetheart, whatever is going on it's going to be all right. Be happy! It's Christmas! Was it a child at the hospital? Did one of them not make it? Oh, I'm so sorry, honey."

"Wow, great to see you too, mom," Jared crossed his arms over his chest. "She's just upset because her boyfriend's not here. Don't deny it sister. It was obvious at Thanksgiving and it's obvious now. Where's dad?"

"Watching some game upstairs," Linda waved him off, turning her attention back to her daughter. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"He's not my boyfriend," Mady stared at the hardwood floor. "I don't want to talk about it? I just want to enjoy Christmas with my family, go play in the snow with the little ones, drink some hot chocolate, and eat those delicious cookies you make every year."

"Well, you're not going to get through Christmas if you're going to be moping around all the time," Linda told her. "Go put your things in your room and join me in the kitchen for some hot cocoa. We can talk about it when you're all settled in."

"We don't need to talk about anything, mom. I'm fine. Really. Jared is just being an ass like usual," she replied. "I'm going to take a shower first then I'll be down for some cocoa. I want mine with extra marshmallows and some cinnamon."

Mady knew Jared was right. Partially right anyway. Steve wasn't her boyfriend, but oh how she wanted him to be. The weeks apart from one another had only made it more obvious. She tossed her bag onto the floor and flung herself onto the bed with a loud groan.

"I know that sound," Mady leaned up on her elbows to see her father perched against the doorframe. "What's wrong, pumpkin?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," she answered. "Jared was looking for you. I'm sure he'd love to tell you all about my problems."

"He's in the media room watching the game. You usually join us you know," he made his way to the edge of the bed. "You are really freaking out about this aren't you?"

"No," she said. "Maybe…I don't know. I have no idea what's going on with me. No, that's not true. I know exactly what is going on with me. I just don't know what to do about it. I hate being away from him, dad. It's almost painful."

"You miss someone you care deeply about, Madalyn. There's nothing wrong with that," Marcus smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Your mother and I could see how much you cared about him at Thanksgiving. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Steve's a good man. Just, when you see him next, tell him how you feel. Dragging it out will only make you feel worse."

"What if I tell him, and he doesn't feel the same way about me?" she hugged a pillow to her chest. "Steve doesn't need me fawning all over him like other women on the street do. I'm perfectly fine with being his friend."

"Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself?" he asked. "You know, your mother and I started out the same way when we met back in college. Now look at us. Being friends first is the best way to making a relationship work. You already know a lot about each other. What's the harm in pursuing-"

"Because he doesn't feel the same way!" Mady told her father again. "Don't even ask me if I know that for a fact because I do. He could get any woman he wants. Why settle for me? I'm boring compared to everyone else. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get a shower. I just drove two hours in a car with Jared who was trying to impersonate the Spice Girls the entire way there."

"Well, you do stink," Marcus laughed when he was hit in the head with a pillow. "How are you boring compared to everyone else? You still haven't told him have you? You should before it causes problems."

"Gee, I love you too, dad," Mady sighed, grabbing a change of clothes, making her way to the connected bathroom. "I will tell him. When the time is right."

* * *

Steve had been in Europe for well over two weeks now with the S.T.R.I.K.E team, and the entire mission was turning out to be a complete waste of time. The plan was to get as much information about some potentially dangerous individuals and bring said information back to the Triskelion with no problems, but missions never ran that smoothly. Their contact hadn't showed up, turning what should have been a simple Intel mission into something much worse. As it turned out, the man had a bit of a drinking problem and slept through his alarm the night they arrived. As days grew on, the problems only increased.

Steve believed himself to be a patient man, but the informant was driving him close to the edge. Every piece of information they were given led to dead end after dead end. The first week and a half was nothing but wild goose chases. It was the beginning of the second week that Steve made the executive decision to leave the guy behind and start looking on their own.

"You know, Cap," Rumlow spoke when the team decided to take a rest in the nearest city. "You need to relax. You always have your serious face on. Let loose. Have a drink."

"Not while we're on assignment, Rumlow," he replied, arms crossed as he watched the civilians pass by the restaurant. "We have orders. We need to follow them."

"Is there always have a stick up his ass?" Rumlow asked the red head. "Does our fearless leader even know how to have fun?"

"We are not here to have fun," Steve told the agent. "We can have fun when we get back to the States."

"I know what will loosen that stick. Cap needs to get laid," Steve flinched at the declaration. "Think about it, Rogers. You could get a nice piece of ass here. Hell, I might even take my own advice. Starting with that one over there," he winked at the waitress. "This mission might not be as bad as we originally thought." his jaw clenched tightly.

"Romanoff, I'm going back to the house," he told her. "I expect you back within the hour. All of you," he stared at Rumlow for a moment before heading down the road. "That's an order."

"What a buzzkill," Steve knew that Rumlow knew that he heard him, but he didn't care. He thought Stark was bad, but some of the members of the team were much worse if that was even possible.

Their safe house was a tiny little cottage on the edge of the city. No one in their right mind would think twice about anyone residing there. At least they would be moving soon. There was something about so many people sharing a tiny space that didn't have a great appeal with most of the team. Steve didn't mind. He was used to small spaces.

With a sigh, he collapsed onto the mattress that served as his bed for the last two days. It wasn't the most uncomfortable thing in the world, but it served its purpose. Only a few more days of this nonsense, and they would be back home. Home, back to Mady. He liked the sound of that.

He wondered what she was doing. Probably sleeping, but it was almost Christmas.

No one had been paying attention to the date while they moved from city to city. They were too busy getting information, but when they arrived in Vienna the other day, the entire group was surprised to find that Christmas was only three days away. It was hard to believe they had been gone so long.

Mady had to have been at her parents place by now he thought, watching the stars blink at him through the windows. Probably busy in the kitchen with her mother as they got ready for the rest of her family to arrive for the holiday. Steve smiled at the image playing in his head. He was sure that she had some song playing in the background while she and her mother cooked, dancing around, looking like a fool. Her words, not his. She never look like a fool to him. Not at all. Oh how he missed her. Steve just hoped she was missing him as much as he was missing her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Damn, kids! Give me all the reviews for chapter 7. I love it! Keep them coming, and as always any ideas are greatly appreciated. Feel free to share the story with your friends. Spread the word! The more the merrier. And if anyone would like to have an idea of what Mady looks like, the face claim is Margot Robbie. I may be a Marvel girl, but Suicide Squad looked pretty awesome.**

 **It's Opening Day! Let's go Bucs!**

 **Peoplers – Be patient. It'll happen eventually.**

 **AlwaysChillin98 – Who doesn't enjoy a good sex scene? Especially with the always attractive Steve Rogers.**

 **Twifan 1987 - I can tell you that Mady and Steve will get together within the next ten chapters.**

 **Writeratheart101 – Thank you so much! I am glad you are enjoying the story so far. I have a feeling you are going to like how they get together.**

 **Overlorded – Not going to lie, as soon as I read your review I pictured Steve as a puppy. That would be adorable! They are aren't they? Someone needs to man up and just tell the other how they feel damn it! Jared is my favorite character to write. Rumlow can go rot in a hole.**

 **Queen of Erebor – I am glad you approve. Don't worry; one of them is going to crack soon.**

 **Fantasy OH YEA – Wow, I'm honored. Stick around, and I think you will be glad you started reading the story. I guess the real question is how much could I get away with, without changing the rating?**

 **Manic at Midnight – No worries, thank you for still giving me a review. It's going to be fun that's for sure.**

 **Guest – I update every Sunday. I know, it seems like a really long way away, but you can make it! I'm not sure on the final count, but there are definitely going to be more than 25 chapters.**

 **Guest – Thank you so much! Every Sunday.**

 **Evaline101 – Thank you! Things are going to warm up soon ;)**

 **CJ/OddBall – You're reviews are the best! I feel like this happens between most people. Let's be honest here, no one likes rejection. One of the reasons why I didn't ask my best friend out. Oh well. I'm still on the fence. A lot of people, me included, think it would be a good idea to spice some stuff up, but I feel like the rating change will make it harder for people to find my fic. You know, because you have to change the rating and all that jazz. I kind of just want to see how far I could go without changing the rating. I'm just not sure how far that would be.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

Mady was dead on her feet. She thought cooking for Thanksgiving was bad, but cooking for Christmas, cooking for Christmas was really bad. She and her mother had been cooking and baking all day. Sure, it was fun at the beginning of the day, getting to bake all of her favorite cookies, but one hour turned into two then two hours turned into five. Before Mady and her mother realized, the entire day had gone by.

She moaned as she collapsed onto the bed. At least everything was ready for tomorrow. There was no way Mady was going to make anything else the rest of the week.

Much to her surprise the phone charging on her night stand buzzed. Who in their right mind would be sending her a message this late at night? With much more effort than there should have been, Mady reached her arm across the bed, looked at the device and smiled instantly.

 _Merry Christmas_ the message read with a picture of the marketplace in Prague decorated all out for the holiday attached.

"So that's where you are," she whispered, stunned at the now incoming call. "Merry Christmas, Steve."

"I hope I didn't wake you up," he answered. "I'm sorry. I should have realized what time it was back home. Merry Christmas, Mady."

"Don't worry about it, my mom and I just got done cooking everything for tomorrow's dinner. The house smells absoultely amazing! This is the first time I've been able to sit down all day, and you're one to talk. Isn't it six o'clock in the morning where you are? Do you not know what sleep is?"

"We start early. You must be really tired, I'll call you again some other-"

"Steve, you might not be able to call me later," Mady said. "Sorry, that was rude of me. I'm not even that tired. How are you? How are things?"

"Busy now," he sighed. "We've been all over the freaking continent, going after leads left and right. The first two weeks were absolutely terrible. Our informant was a complete idiot, didn't help us whatsoever, so we ditched him and went out on our own. I'm glad that I get to hear your voice though. That's definitely the highlight of the mission."

"Aw, do you miss me?" she teased, pulling her knees to her chest with a giant grin on her face. "Is it smart to ditch an informant? Seems like an important part of your mission there, buddy."

"I could care less at this point," Steve said. "You have no idea how much I miss you. It's so weird, not being able to see you on a regular basis. Do you-do you miss me?" his heart pounded, anxiously awaiting her answer.

"I do miss you, Steve. A lot," she answered. "It seems like we have become dependent upon one another."

"I don't see anything wrong with that. Are you excited to be with the rest of your family tomorrow?" he was the one grinning like a fool now.

"I would be more excited if you were here too, but we can't always get what we want. Grandpa Ned would have a field day if the both of you were in the same room together. He wouldn't leave you alone."

"I wish I was home too," she loved how effortlessly the word rolled off his tongue. "Even if these places are beautiful, nothing beats being with you."

"Aren't you a smooth talker? What happened to the shy and awkward Steve Rogers that I used to know? You'll be back soon right?" she asked. "I was hoping that maybe we could ring in the New Year together like you suggested before you flew out."

"If Fury gives us the green light, I will definitely be back in time for New Year's," he yawned. "Sorry, it just hit me how tired I am. Looks like I will be having an interesting day today."

"That's what coffee is for, smart stuff. I think it's you who I need to call back, but I know that that's not going to be an option," Mady said. "I'll see you when you get back, Steve. Goodnight or I guess it's good morning where you are."

"I wish wasn't tired. I want to know how you're doing, how your December has been," he sighed. "I hate this."

"I know the feeling," she wrapped the comforter around her body. "You'll just have to tell me all about your mission when you get back. Be safe and come back soon, soldier."

"Yes, ma'am. I will, sweet dreams, Mady," her screen turned black.

"Sweet dreams," she whispered, sleep soon taking over.

* * *

Christmas morning came much too quickly for Mady's liking. The second her clock turned over to seven, the door slammed open, letting the little rascals barged into her room, jumping on the bed, demanding that she wake up so they could open presents. Why didn't she lock her door again?

"Who gave you sugar this morning?" Mady groaned when Jane landed on her stomach. "No one should be this rambunctious so early in the morning. Did Mark give you all donuts for breakfast? Can't we wait until eight or nine? Nine sounds wonderful. Heck, why not noon? Noon would be perfect!"

"No!" the children answered together. "Presents now!"

"I'm not going to win," she mumbled. "All right. Get off of me you crazy kids. I'll be down in a minute. Make sure you tell grandma that I want coffee when I get down there."

"OK!" the monkeys hopped off her bed, running back downstairs. Mady couldn't help but laugh, thinking back to the days when she and her brothers were just as exciting for Christmas morning.

She was the last one to make her way down the stairs and into the living room where dozens of presents were stacked under and around the brightly light tree. The children were giddy with excitement as they now had everyone awake, waiting for the okay to begin the main event.

"Grandma! Grandma! Aunt Mady is here! Can we open presents now?" Taylor bounced on her knees.

"Aren't you kids starving? Are you sure you don't want to eat breakfast first?" Linda couldn't help but giggle at her five grandchildren who looked at her as if she grew a third head. "Surely you wouldn't want to open all of the gifts Santa brought you on an empty stomach."

"But Grandma!" they whined. "You promised we could open presents when Aunt Mady woke up and came downstairs!"

"Yeah, Grandma, you promised!" Jared joined them.

"Fine," Linda sighed. "Go ahead."

"Yay!" they jumped into the pile.

Mady joined her sisters-in-law on the couch, a cup of coffee in hand as they watched the kids tear into the pile of gifts, wrapping paper flying all over the floor.

"Mommy, mommy, look what I got!" Jane shouted holding up the book in front of her mother's face.

"It's just what you wanted," Jessica smiled, her hand resting on her swollen stomach. "I bet you're going to have the entire book colored by tomorrow."

"You're so silly, mommy," the little girl giggled, hugging the coloring book to her chest, hopping back down onto the floor with her siblings and cousins.

"Are you ready to have the little one yet, Jess?" Mady asked her.

"You have no idea," Jessica rolled her head to the side. "I am tired of having this beach ball under my shirt."

"You need to stop saying that, Jessie," Mark said to his wife. "That's my daughter you're about to give birth to, and you're gorgeous. Every woman in this world should be jealous of your beauty."

"I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no," Jessica said.

"Come on, babe," Mark whined.

"Absolutely not."

"And this is why I am neve getting married," Jared commented from the floor. "It's the bachelor life for me."

"I'm sure Jamie will love that," Mady chuckled. "I should tell her before she starts looking through the catalogs."

"Do you wanna go, sister?" he challenged.

"Where you taking me?" she cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Children, you're acting worse that the youngsters," Linda scolded her two youngest. "You are setting a poor example for them."

"Aunt Mady and Uncle Jared are funny," Allie giggled aloud.

"I'm glad I'm the one making you laugh, Allie," Jared snatched up the giggling child into his arms, ticking her senselessly. "Maybe I should have said that I'll be the last one to be put into this situation."

"What?" her brothers shouted, startling almost everyone in the room. It was a good thing that the grandparents weren't present otherwise things would have been really awkward. "Is there something you aren't telling us, little sister?"

"No, there's nothing to talk about," she glared at her brother. "Absolutely nothing."

"Just tell them already," he plopped Allie back onto the floor. "They should know that their sister is dating a superhero."

"A superhero!" Marty shouted. The child had an absolute fascination with superheroes. "Aunt Mady's dating a superhero! Is it Captain America? Aunt Mady, are you dating Captain America? That would be so cool! All of my friends at school are going to be so jealous!" Captain America being his favorite. Of course he was.

"Jared, I am going to kill you," she hissed. "Marty, don't listen to what your uncle says. He's lost his mind."

"So you're not dating a superhero?" the boy pouted.

"Marty," she paused. "It's a little complicated."

"How's it complicated?"

"I'm not dating a superhero."

"But she wants to," Jared informed everyone. "Go ahead, tell them. I mean, if Rogers joined us for Christmas like originally planned they would have found out anyway. Right?"

"Captain America was going to come here?" Marty's eyes widened. "That would have been the best Christmas present ever!"

"You actually know, Captain Rogers?" Mark and Jake asked together.

"Is he as hot as he is on T.V?"

"He was at the Smithsonian when I was on my field trip," Mady was so thankful that Taylor was there.

"That was months ago, sweetheart," Lisa said. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Way to ask the real questions, Jess," Mady couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, he is, and because it wasn't that big of a deal. I know the guy. What else is there to discuss? There's a reason why I didn't make a big deal about it. I knew you all would freak out. Just like this."

"Were you actually going to get him to come here for Christmas?"

"Well, yeah," she looked down at her coffee mug. "No one should be alone on Christmas."

"Way to quote _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_ ," Jared snickered. "Such a weirdo. Why Steve hangs out with you is a mystery to me."

"If you don't shut up, you'll be in China before you can say Whoville."

"Is that a threat?"

"You bet your as-"

"Madalyn! Jared!" Linda exclaimed. "What did I tell you two? Stop this at once! Jared, leave your sister alone. Madalyn, stop threatening your brother."

"Yes, mom."

"Your grandparents just pulled in the driveway. The both of you can put on your coats and help them bring their things inside. I'll get breakfast started."

"I am so glad we all came home for Christmas," Mark cackled. "It's just like the old times."

"Mommy, can Aunt Mady take me to China?" Josh asked his mother.

"No, honey. Aunt Mady can't take you to China," she explained. "How about you all take your presents and push them against the wall for now. You can play with them after we eat."

"Grandma, are you going to make pancakes?" Taylor asked. "You make the best pancakes."

"Of course I will."


	9. Chapter 9

**Over 10,000 views! Thank you all so much! As a reward, here comes the chapter that you've all been waiting for. I hope I did it justice.**

 **Qweb – This chapter makes me want to fast forward to December and have Christmas again, how about you? Thank you for the input. I have been going back and forth with the idea for a while now, but I think I'm going to keep the rating the same, just push the boundaries a bit.**

 **Guest – Thank you so much!**

 **Maniac at Midnight – But Jared is wonderful! How can you say that? He may be a bit of a douche canoe, but that's one of the best things about him! Thanks for the review!**

 **Writeratheart101 – Thanks! I couldn't let Mady and Steve go forever without some kind of contact now could I? That would be cruel.**

 **Queen of Erebor – I'm glad you enjoyed it. That's a good idea, why didn't I think of that?**

 **Supesfan18 – I want to comment on your Natasha point, but that would give things away. You'll just need to wait and see what happens. I think I am going to push the T rating. How far that will be, who knows. People can use their imaginations can't they?**

 **Guest – You are so sweet! Thank you for the review.**

 **QueenofNetflix8 – Thank you! I am so happy you like the story so far. I'll push the T rating, but if I go too far I will up it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

"Why did I let you drag me here again? Tonight of all nights? I could be catching up on _Once Upon a Time,_ but no. I had to get all dressed up for absolutely no reason," Mady groaned, following her best friend and Mike to one of the few open booths in the back of the already crowded club. "Don't you have kids you should be watching or something? You are horrible parents."

"That's the beauty of grandparents, my dear," Kelly smirked. "Let's face it; if you weren't here you'd be all alone in your room watching the ball drop by yourself instead of stealing a kiss from a handsome stranger, and you look smokin' in that dress. Why not enjoy yourself tonight?"

"Another reason to hate you right now; I feel like a whore in this thing," she tried pulling the hem of the dress lower even though she knew it wouldn't budge.

"No, honey, the whore is that girl over there, flashing her tits to get free drinks. Not you. You look fine. Stop it and have fun. Speaking of fun, didn't you say you and Steve originally had plans tonight? What happened with that?"

"Steve didn't get in until late this afternoon. He wanted to get together, but I told him not to worry about it so he could rest up. Four weeks in Europe can screw up anyone's internal clock up."

"That's what you get for being cozy with a superhero," Kelly said, making sure no one overheard them. "Come on, you're still not officially together as much as it pains me to say since you two are adorable, but that doesn't mean you aren't allowed to get your midnight kiss. Go! Mingle!"

If only it was that easy. Unlike Kelly, Mady was no social butterfly. She would much rather be at home, curled up with a good book in her lap than put up with the random strangers surrounding her at that very moment.

Kelly barged her way into Mady's apartment, demanding that she come with her and Mike to the bar. You know, to have a good time and all that. The woman was right though. She and Steve weren't together, so there wasn't really anything wrong with stealing some dances with other guys. Maybe she would get a kiss at midnight, just not from the man she wanted.

"Would you like to dance?" she looked up to see a handsome, young man offering his hand to her.

She looked between Kelly and Mike, both giving her the thumbs up. What the hell, she was going to be there for a long time, might as well enjoy it.

"Sure."

* * *

Steve wasn't expecting a knock on his door. Let alone a knock on his door at 10:30 that evening. He had just come back from a month-long mission for crying out loud. Surely Fury didn't need him again so soon. Maybe Mrs. Mable from down the hall was having trouble with her groceries again. Why someone needed to do their grocery shopping so late was beyond him, but he couldn't say no if the elderly woman needed his help. Exhaling loudly, Steve closed the book resting on his lap, placed it on the table and went to the door.

"Yes?" he asked, confused when he saw that it was not the old woman from down the hall, but Natasha Romanoff standing in front of him, dressed from a night on the town. "Natasha? What are you doing here?"

"You're kidding me right?" she pushed her way passed him into the hallway. "Did you not celebrate New Year's back when dinosaurs roamed the earth? Put some clothes on. We're going out. I don't care if we just got back from a mission. It's New Year's Eve."

"You think that's funny don't you?" he asked. "How can you not be tired? And since when do you want to go out? Ever? This is very uncharacteristic of you, Romanoff. Why can't we just stay home?"

"Because that's boring," Natasha rolled her eyes at the man. "Come on, we don't have to stay that long. Just long enough to have some fun. You know how to do that don't you?"

"Ha ha," Steve retorted. "I'm not going to change your mind am I?" Natasha didn't need to say anything; he already knew the answer. "Give me a few minutes."

Would you look at that, he was learning Natasha thought making her way through Steve's apartment. Not too shabby if she did say so herself.

"And what do we have here?" she picked up the discarded book on the coffee table. Dozens of post-it notes of all colors stuck out from its pages. Someone was making a lot of progress.

"I didn't picture you as a history buff," Steve's voice echoed from the hallway. "The book's very interesting. I've learned a lot from it."

"I can see that," she ignored his first comment. "Nice jacket."

"Thanks, it was a Christmas present."

"Oh was it?" Natasha questioned. "From someone you never seem to shut up about?" his face reddened instantly. "I'll take that as a yes. Let's hit the road. The night is still young, and don't worry about being surrounded by crazy people. Most of them are probably too drunk to realize that two of the Avengers are hanging out at a bar anyway."

"I will never understand why that's fun for people."

* * *

Dancing was fun at the beginning of the night. Mady was definitely having a good time, but after an hour or so, the men were getting a little handy. Almost like she was in college again, and when she felt another set of grimy hands on her ass she couldn't help but retaliate.

"Touch me again and there will be hell to pay," she exclaimed, dropping the man to the floor.

"Damn, lady got moves!" a drunk partier shouted from the bar, hoisting his beer into the air. "That was awesome!"

"Right," she muttered, making her way back through the crowd to the table. It was almost midnight now, but she wasn't sure if staying until then was worth it. "Kel, I think I'm going to head back home. It's been fun and all, but I can't take all of the wandering hands."

"Nooo!" Kelly shouted. "You haveta stay! It's almost time!"

Kelly was a loud person while sober, but she was an even louder person when she was drunk. Quite funny actually, but Mady knew that it would make leaving much more difficult.

"Kel, I just want to go to bed and sleep."

"But it's only thirty minutes left until midnight! You need ta get your kiss! What 'bout tha guy over there? He almost looks like Stef."

"I don't need to get anything, and I highly doubt it," she reached for her coat, gritting her teeth when another pair of hands made contact with her shoulders. "That's it; I'm ripping arms out of their sockets!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Mady! Stop it! It's just me," a familiar pair of arms held her tightly.

"Steve?" she gasped, turning around on her heels. "What are you doing here? I thought you said you were going to catch up on some sleep. Not that I'm complaining or anything. It's great to see you." Mady couldn't help but hug her friend tightly for the first time in a month.

"A friend of mine pulled me along. She said I needed to get out and have some fun," he told her. "You know for a second there I thought you really were going to pull my arms off. Should I be concerned that you might know how to do that?"

"I grew up with protective brothers and a protective dad, Rogers. Of course I'm going to know how to protect myself when the time calls for it," she replied, taking a deep breath, stepping away from him. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen you so dressed up before. You look very handsome. That jacket of yours is pretty nice."

"Thank you. It was a present from a friend," he said.

"Your friend has some good taste."

"I think so," he blushed. "You- you look beautiful."

"Thank you," Mady flushed as well. "I um-want to get a drink?"

"I'd love to."

"Get it, girl!" Kelly shouted for everyone within a ten mile radius to hear. "Use protection!"

"So that's Kelly." Steve commented as they approached the bar. "It's nice to put a face with the name."

"Yeah, not the ideal time and place for you two to meet for the first time, but there's nothing I can do about it now. I'm sorry about her. She's a crazy person when she's drunk. Feel free to ignore everything she says for the rest of the night," Mady took the open seat beside him.

"What can I get ya?" the bartender interrupted.

"Two Black and Tans, my good man," she slid him two twenties. "Keep the change."

"You don't need to pay for my drink, Mady," Steve told her.

"Don't worry about it. You can get the next round," she winked, sliding the glass his way. "Shall we toast?"

"To what?"

"How about since it's going to be a new year and all that, to new opportunities and all that bullshit people say to make themselves feel better?"

"I like that, minus the bullshit part," he agreed, clinking their glasses together. "May a day not be wasted. Not bad."

"Did you just swear, Mr. Rogers? I never thought I would see the day. Black and Tans are pretty good," Mady placed her drink on the bar. "So, are you going to tell me all about all of your adventures? I bet the cities in Europe were absolutely beautiful. Were they all like Prague? Thank you for sending that picture to me. It was gorgeous."

"Didn't take you long to find someone to talk to, did it, Rogers?" Natasha appeared behind them. "You must be Mady. Steve never shuts up about you. I'm Natasha."

"It's nice to meet you." Mady shook the woman's hand, catching the smirk hiding behind the smile on the woman's lips. The one she had seen so many times before.

"Well, I thought I'd introduce myself briefly, have fun you two," she was gone just as quickly.

"She seems nice."

"That was really weird. I don't think I've ever seen Natasha smile before."

"I find that hard to believe. She seems lovely."

"You don't know her the way I do." Steve commented. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was up to something."

"You worry too much, Steve," Mady laughed, finishing off her drink.

"Hey, baby, how about we have another go on the dance floor?" Mady crinkled her nose at how putrid the man's breath was. He just had to get right up in her face didn't he? "We had such a good time before. Ditch the pretty boy here and come have some fun with a real man."

"I think you have me confused with someone else. Please leave us alone."

"Oh no, I remember dancing with you. You know how I can tell? It's because of that sexy dress you have on," he ran his pudgy fingers through her hair. "However, I think I would like that dress a lot more if it was on the floor with you bent over this bar while I fuck your-"

"Apologize to the lady," Steve sneered, shoving the man's face against the bar, pinning both of the man's behind his back. "Now or you'll be spending the new year getting your arms sown back on."

"You don't scare me, man," the drunk chuckled.

"I should," Steve replied, tossing him to the awaiting security. "Are you all right?" he asked, cupping one of Mady's cheeks while the other rested firmly on her waist. "He had absolutely no right to say those things to you."

"Steve, I'm fine," she answered, mind buzzing over what just happened. "Thank you though. I was this close to punching the guy's lights out, but I don't think spending time in jail tonight would be very fun."

"I would have loved to see that," he grinned, glad she could move on from the man's advances so quickly. "Next time we come in contact with an ass, I'll hold him down while you have a go at him."

"Two swears in one day, who are you?" she paused, realizing how close the two were. "Would you like to dance?"

"I've never danced before," he scratched the back of his neck. "I don't want to step on your feet."

"You have to learn sometime don't you?"

"Dancing would be a good skill to have I would imagine."

"Come on, it's a slow song. The easiest to dance to," she took his hand, leading them to the dance floor. "All you have to do is sway back and forth to the music."

"Like this?"

"If you're going for awkward middle school dancing then yes; you are doing perfectly," she couldn't help laugh. "You could fit a sumo wrestler between us, Steve."

She wasn't wrong. Exaggerating a bit sure, but there was definitely a good foot to a foot and a half between them.

"Um."

"You don't need to be shy, Steve. I thought you said that you've always wanted to learn how to dance."

"I do," he answered. "I just don't want to…..I'm not very good at this."

"I'd say you're thinking about it too much," she told him. "Just go with the flow and do what you think is right."

"Is this better?" he pulled her closer.

Truthfully, it was not okay in Mady's eyes. There was still some space between them, but if this was as far as Steve was willing to go then she would just have to go with it. For now anyway. It would seem that she would have to make the first move. Again. The countdown to 2013 filled her ears, a new year was coming, and there was no way she was going to go down the same road like last time.

"Happy New Year, Steve." She pressed her lips against his for a quick kiss when the countdown hit zero.

"Happy New Year," he said, heart beating loudly in his ears. Did she just kiss him or was that all in his mind? He hoped it wasn't his imagination. Maybe she should do it again just to make sure.

"Sorry to break you two up," Mike apologized to the couple, handing Mady her coat. "But Kelly is completely gone. I need to take her home before she does something she'll really regret."

"Oh, you poor thing," Mady pulled away from Steve's embrace. "You know how terrible you're going feel when you wake up."

"So worth it," Kelly stumbled to give her friend a hug, giggling when they almost fell to the floor. "Do ya have a ride? We brought ya."

"I can take her home," Steve spoke. "It's not a problem."

"Thanks, man," Mike grabbed his wife's shoulders, steering her out of the club.

"Have fun you too!" Kelly shouted once more before they were out of sight.

"She's my best friend; what can you do?" Mady shrugged. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, Natasha left too," he answered, slipping his phone back into his jean pocket. "Looks like it's just you and me, but we can head back too if you want. You know, if you're getting tired or something."

"Pff, I don't know what you're talking about," Mady punched his arm, yawning loudly. "Hmm, maybe I am. Strange, I wasn't feeling tired before."

"Come on," he chuckled, placing his hand on the small of her back, following the same path that Mike and Kelly had just taken. He was feeling a bit bolder now. Maybe, just maybe, he would be the one to kiss her goodnight. "I hope you don't mind riding on the back of my bike."

"Are you kidding?" Mady asked. "Motorcycles are awesome! I've been waiting for you to take me for a ride for the last forever!"

"Why didn't you say something? I would have taken you anywhere. Hold on tight."

He didn't need to tell her twice. Mady couldn't help hold onto him as tightly as possible while they sped through the D.C. traffic. She wished her place was farther away just so she could stay wrapped around Steve a little longer.

"That was so much fun," she commented as he helped her down off the bike. "We'll have to do that again sometime. During the daytime of course. "

"Definitely," he agreed following behind her up the stairs through the apartment complex. "Nothing beats seeing the sights with the wind blowing through your hair."

"There might be a few other things," Mady muttered to herself, stopping before her door. "Well, this is me, but you already know that. Thank you again by the way. This will be a New Year's Eve celebration I will never forget."

"I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but you're welcome."

"It's definitely a good thing," she answered, fiddling with her keys, heart speeding into overdrive. Why did she have to kiss him? Now she was a giant bundle of nerves. She couldn't help but think that she had screwed everything up between the two of them. "Good night, Steve."

Good night? Did she really want him to leave after what just happened between them? Had he read their situation incorrectly? That couldn't be right. They were enjoying themselves way too much to have the awkwardness come back full force. And that kiss, even though it had to have been the quickest kiss in the entire world, he couldn't leave now. She wasn't leaving, that had to mean something, and why was she playing with her keys so much? You're so stupid, Rogers, he mentally smacked himself in the head, glad he watched that movie with her before he left for Europe.

Mady could see the pink tinge forming on his cheeks. Was he thinking the same thing she was? Was he picking up on her hint, or was he going to leave her hanging? Come on, Rogers her mind screamed at him, but when nothing happened as they both stood awkwardly in front of one another, Mady let out a sigh, turning to unlock her door. So much for her goodnight kiss.

"Wait," Steve grabbed ahold of her wrist, heart racing for the second time that night, his gaze going from her eyes to her lips then back to her eyes again. Just do it. Kiss her! He could picture Bucky shouting at him to go for it.

His fingers brushed over her cheek bone, pulling her close, lips finally meeting hers for a real kiss this time. Nothing like the one they shared back at the bar. Her lips were just as soft as he had imagined they would be. Was that weird? That he had imagined what their first kiss would be like? He hoped not.

Butterflies erupted in his stomach when he felt Mady place her hands on his chest. He hadn't screwed up! Unfortunately for him, their kiss was stopped much too soon. His eyes fluttered open to see the woman who had impacted his life so much, stand before him, cheeks a deep scarlet.

"Wow," was all Mady could muster.

"I hope I wasn't being too forward," Steve apologized.

"Absolutely not," she shook her head.

"Good, that's good," he ran his fingers through his hair. "I wanted to ask you if-maybe you wanted to go out sometime. Like on a date?"

"Are you asking me out, Rogers?"

"Yes."

"I would love to," she beamed.

"Great," he smiled in return. "I'll-um- I'll call you later. I bet you'll be busy the next couple of days. Good night, Mady."

"Good night, Steve," she watched him head for the elevator then all but ran into her apartment to the window to wave goodbye from the window. "Holy shit!" He kissed _her._

If only he didn't have to leave, she couldn't help but think, tossing her bag onto the bed, but she wasn't that kind of girl. She wasn't going to jump his bones at the first sign of physical contact. No matter how badly she wanted to. Self-control, that was the name of the game, but the way his lips felt against hers, and the way his hands felt against her body; it was almost too much for her to bear.

"Damn it!" Mady cursed aloud, making her way into the bathroom. There was only one way to fix this.

Only it wasn't that easy. As the cold water washed over her skin, Mady's mind began to play games with her. She could feel his hands trail down her body, starting in her hair and the way down her torso and – Mady groaned as she leaned her head against the tile. She was in for a long night. Fortunately for her, she wasn't the only one having trouble going to bed that night.


	10. Chapter 10

**Posting a day early since I won't have time tomorrow!**

 **Not as much feedback from the previous chapter as I would have liked, but what can I do about it? Good news, I have the entire story mapped out. There will be 37 chapters. Give or take one or two. If I get everything written down, I might start posting twice a week. How does that sound?**

 **Maniac at Midnight – I don't think I believe you….about time right?**

 **Supesfan18 – Thanks friend. I don't know, what are the chances that Steve and Nat ended up in the same bar as Mady? Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.**

 **Writeratheart101 – I am so glad you liked it. It took me forever to get that kiss into words. Still not 100% happy with it, but it's good enough.**

 **Obsessin – Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Every Sunday.**

 **Megan (Guest) – Thank you so much! I'm glad you like Mady as much as I do. For now the story will remain T, but we'll see how far I can stretch it.**

 **Nicolaaa – You say that like it's a bad thing? Fluff is wonderful isn't it?**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

"Natasha, I have a problem," Steve said from the center of the meeting room. His arms crossed over his chest as he paced back and forth.

"And what is this so-called problem?" the woman was curious. Their fearless leader hadn't been his usual self since New Year's, and it was getting Natasha on edge. She didn't go through all of the trouble of setting them up to have in act like this.

"I asked Mady out, and I have no idea what to do."

"Uh, take her out, and have a good time," she told him. "What's so difficult about that?"

"But where?" he sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I don't know what to do! I've never done this before. Bucky was the one who set up all the dates. I just went along for the ride."

"We haven't changed that much as a species, Rogers," Natasha replied. "A date's a date. Take her out to dinner, or go see a movie. You know what she likes and what she doesn't like. Trust yourself. The woman already likes you, so there's no need to impress her or anything. It's only your first real date right?"

"Technically yes," he nodded. "But she deserves something special. I want to do something nice for her."

"You like her a lot, don't you? How long have you two known each other? Five-ish months? I'm surprised it took you this long to ask her out."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've been talking to one another for a while. She's been helping you out with things, getting you back in the world. You can never shut up about her."

"She's a friend."

"Obviously she's not just a friend to you anymore. Just be yourself, and everything will work out. Anyway, I came in here to tell you that Fury wants to see you in his office."

"All right," he sighed, heading towards the elevator.

"Sir, everything is going as planned. Rose was right," Steve stood outside Fury's door, listening in on the conversation between Maria Hill and the Director. "We should have the formula completed within the next three days."

"It sounds like you didn't have faith her work," Fury chuckled. "When has the Rose ever been wrong?"

"Never," Maria turned her head to the side. "You're two o'clock is here. I'll come back and give you the rest of the information."

"Very good, Hill. Come on in, Rogers," Fury's voice boomed.

"You wanted to see me?" Steve asked, entering the room, hands gripping at his belt.

"Yes, I did," Fury stood behind the desk. "I want to go over the information that you brought back from Europe."

"I thought so," he replied. "I didn't interrupt anything did I?"

"Nothing you have to worry yourself with at this point, Cap."

* * *

"I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!" Kelly sang as the two women travelled through the hallway at the hospital. "It was about damn time!"

"Can you not scream?" Mady sipped her coffee. "That would be great thanks, and what's that supposed to mean?"

"It was only a matter of time before Steve asked you out," Kelly explained. "Have you seen the way he looks at you? He's completely smitten. Took him long enough. So where is he taking you?"

"I don't know yet. He only asked me out yesterday. I'm sure he's busy with work."

"Don't make excuses for him," Kelly scolded her. "He needs to get his butt into gear and tell you where you're going. I bet it'll be romantic. Steve seems like the romantic type."

"Kel, I'm still amazed that he asked me out to begin with. I was the one who kissed him first. I was sure one hundred percent sure that I would have been the one to ask him out first too. Besides, we're both very busy people. Steve knows that. We'll go out when we both have time. There's no rush."

"Are you going to sleep with him?"

"Kelly!" it was Mady's turn to shout. "Why on earth would you ask such a thing in a children's hospital, and how dare you escalate this conversation so quickly!"

"You didn't say no," she grinned. "I bet he's great in the sack."

"No, I'm not going to sleep with him," Mady answered in a hushed tone. "That would be completely inappropriate, and don't you dare start thinking about it because if you start thinking about it then I'll start thinking about it, and-I hate you so much right now!"

"Look at me right in the eyes and tell me you've never thought about it before," Kelly challenged. "Have you seen the man you've been buddy-buddy with for the past five months? He's practically a god. I'd have jumped him months ago if I was in your shoes. How you haven't, I'll never know."

"Can you stop?" Mady swatted her friend's shoulder. "You know as well as I do that Steve's not that kind of guy."

"I knew you've thought about it before. Not that I can blame you. I've been the exhibit and everything, but I my imagination can only do so much. I bet the serum enhanced _everything._ "

"You are a horrible human being, but when you're right you're right. When he left, I couldn't fall asleep for three hours. He's absolutely perfect, Kel, but he's too old-fashioned to have sex with me on the first date."

"So the complete opposite of Aaron?"

"Definitely," Mady nodded. "But Steve's someone worth waiting for."

"You don't have to tell me, honey. I already know," Kelly grinned. "Call me when you're off the clock. I'll come over and help you pick out something that will knock Steve's socks off."

"I told you, we haven't-"

"I know. I'm just getting you prepared so you don't freak out when the time comes, and you say you can't find anything to wear and have a panic attack."

"That's a good idea actually."

"It's because I'm so smart."

"Don't get carried away now."

"Some friend you are."

"I'm the best friend you've ever had."

"Whatever you say," Mady rolled her eyes.

* * *

"See, aren't you glad I helped you pick this outfit out on Wednesday?" Kelly beamed from her spot on Mady's bed, admiring her handy work. "There was no freak out, and you look fantastic. Not quite as great as you did at the bar, but that's not appropriate attire for a first date. Steve's going to die."

"I certainly hope not," Mady turned to observe Kelly's handy work in the mirror, silently agreeing with Kelly. She would have been a complete mess if she hadn't taken her advice the other day. "To be honest, I'm not sure where we're going. Steve just said we're going to dinner."

"I feel like that's what everyone does on their first date," Kelly commented. "What happened to fun first dates? Like going to a concert and or having fun at the fair?"

"You do realize it's the beginning of January right?" Mady eyed the woman on her bed. "Dinner was the best idea. Maybe we'll do something else afterwards. I'll let you know tomorrow morning."

"Oh no, I'm going to stay here and wait until you get back," she rolled over into a sitting position. "I want all of the details even if I don't get the lovely juicy kind, but that day will come. Pun most definitely intended."

"I hate you sometimes. You know that right?" Mady asked. "All right. I think I'm ready."

"Are you nervous?"

"A little bit," she nodded. "I know it's silly, seeing as we've hung out before and everything. Hell, Steve even knows my mom, dad, and Jared, but this is an actual date, completely new territory for us."

"Then you don't have to worry about the awkward ice breakers. Quit worrying, everything is going to be fine," both women paused at the knocking at her front door. "Your date has arrived. Go on, I won't butt-in."

"Please don't do anything stupid while I'm gone," Mady grabbed her bag and coat. "However, do go to sleep if you get tired. We don't need a repeat of what happened last time."

"I learned my lesson. Now go!"

"Don't tell me what to do," she made her way to the door; heart pounding just like it did at Thanksgiving only worse. "You can do this, Mady. It's like any other time we've hung out."

Except it wasn't like any other time they've hung out. Before she and Steve were just two friends who would watch movies, go to the museums around the city; things that friends would do together. That line had been crossed when she kissed him at that stupid bar. With one final sigh, she opened the door to find a very dapper Steve Rogers standing before her with a single red rose in hand.

Steve felt like he had been reverted back to his original skinny self in 1940 as he stared at the door. The door he had gone in and out of numerous times the over last couple of months, but this was so different.

Like he had told Natasha, Bucky was the one who set up all of the dates. He just went along. Now it was his turn to be the big man and step up. His palms were sweating as he knocked on her door, the other holding onto the flower he had picked up from the flower shop down the street. At first he thought of getting her a bouquet of red roses, but quickly decided that that was too much for a first date. Maybe the second date if things worked out.

A single red rose. Mady told him that they were her favorite.

"Wow," he couldn't help but think aloud when he saw her.

Steve knew that Mady was a good-looking woman, but there was something about the way she looked at that very moment that blew him away. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," she blushed. He liked it when she did that. "So are you. I mean- I'm going to shut up now before I make an even bigger fool of myself."

"This is for you," he handed her the rose. "I remember you saying that they were your favorite."

"You are something else, you know that, Steve," she said. "Come on inside for a second, so I can out this in some water before we go. You're still not going to tell me where we're going are you?"

"And ruin the surprise? I don't think so," he replied.

"Can't blame a girl for trying," she filled up a vase with water, placing it on the counter top. "There we go."

"Nice try," he offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

"We shall," she accepted without a second thought. "Not even a little hint?"

"Nope," he chuckled as they made their way down the street. "I hope you don't mind walking. We're not going very far from here. It's probably warmer than riding my bike at least."

"I don't mind," she answered. "It's beautiful out with all of the snow."

"It is," he agreed. "You'll tell me if you get cold though, yeah?"

"Of course," Mady met his crystal, blue eyes. "But I think you should worry about me slipping on ice and falling on my butt. Heels and ice don't mix."

"Then why do you wear them?" Steve asked.

"Because they make my ass look fantastic." Mady knew Steve was trying his best to be discrete, but she caught him taking a look.

Mady was glad the banter between them hadn't changed. They were laughing and joking like usual, like nothing had happened. Maybe Kelly was right. Maybe this transition would be easier than she expected.

When they turned the corner however, she couldn't help but gawk at the building before them. There was no way Steve was taking her to the Golden Eagle. It took years for anyone to even get on the waiting list. How could he get-duh. She was so stupid sometimes.

"I hope this is okay," Steve's voice broke through her train of thought. "Natasha told me this was a really good place."

"It's the absolute best place," Mady answered in awe. "At least, that's what I've been told."

"You've never been here before?" she shook her head no. "Well, it'll be a good time for the both of us then won't it?"

"You can say that again."

The couple entered the building hand-in-hand, all the way to the cozy table located in the corner away from any wandering eyes.

"This place is gorgeous," Mady couldn't help but gaze around. The restaurant was dark, but not too dark, just enough to bring a romantic atmosphere to the room. Complete with candlelight and soft music playing in the background. "This is already the best date I have ever been on."

"Already?" Steve asked. "I find that hard to believe."

"Believe it," she glanced over the menu. "All of these things sound so good, especially the dessert. I'm so glad I had a light lunch. I am going to get that cheesecake if it kills me."

"I just hope the food tastes as good as it sounds."

What an understatement. The food was absolutely delicious. Steve and Mady didn't even speak to one another for the first five minutes after their food came out because it was so good.

"How's your steak?" Mady managed to get out after eating at least half of her chicken.

"It's melting in my mouth," he replied. "Would you like to try some?"

"Sure," she leaned across the table. "Wow, that's incredible. My dad's filet is no longer on the top of my list. He's going to be so mad."

"Your dad can make a good steak?"

"The best. Well, it used to be the best. He's going to have to settle for second best now," she laughed, leaning back against her chair. "You would know that if you joined us for Christmas, but someone had to go run some errands."

"It's not my fault," he insisted. "I had to follow my orders, but I did manage to have some fun while I was over there."

"Some?" Mady rested her elbows on the table. "Do tell."

"I am not allowed to release such classified information, but I would have had more fun if I wasn't by myself."

"You went with your team, I thought?" Mady asked.

"I was, but it's not like we could enjoy the sights. We had a mission to do, but even when we had down time, no one wanted to go to the places I wanted to," he answered, following her actions, their faces close to one another. "I would have enjoyed having a site-seeing buddy."

"Stark was just a phone call away."

"You're hilarious," a grin popped up on his face. "Not the person I had in mind."

"I am pretty funny huh?"

"Cocky too."

"Thank you. Thank you very much. So tell me more about your mission, or what you're allowed to tell me. You didn't go into detail the other day. I'm very interested."

"That's classified."

"That's no fun," she pouted. "Kick anyone's ass?"

"Maybe, but you won't be hearing about that either."

"What happened to the Steve Rogers that didn't make any jokes and freak out all the time when he thought he was out of line?"

"Oh, he's still there," he shrugged. "Somewhere. Why? You like shy Steve Rogers more than me?"

"I like any Steve Rogers that doesn't talk about himself in third person," Mady answered.

"Sorry."

"There he is," she beamed. "I knew he was still there, not that I'm complaining or anything. I don't think shy Steve Rogers would have had the guts to kiss me in a public setting."

"No, no I wouldn't have," Steve rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm glad I did though. I wanted to do that for a while. I hope that doesn't sound weird."

"It doesn't," her heart swooned at his confession. "I'm glad you did too."

* * *

The rest of the evening went by much quicker than either of them would have liked. Dessert was just as incredible as their main meals were. Mady wished she could have had a little bit of everything, but she was too full. Steve, being the gentleman that he was, helped her into her coat as they made their way out back into the night. She didn't want the night to end.

The walk back was much slower than the start of the evening. It seemed like Steve had the same idea running through his mind. Good. At least he enjoyed their time together as much as she did. Mady could have sworn she saw Kelly's outline from her window as they made their way to the entrance of the apartment complex. Her friend was such a creep.

"You wouldn't want to come up and finish this dessert with me would you?" she asked as they stood in front of the door.

"Um, I don't think that's a good idea."

"I understand," she rose up on her toes, pressing her lips to his cheek. "Fury wants you in at the crack of dawn I bet."

"Something like that," he said. "Unfortunate really, that chocolate cake was wonderful. I bet that cheesecake is even better."

"It was wasn't it? That's a shame, Rogers. I'm a very good sharer."

"Next time," Steve insisted.

"And what makes you so sure there will be a next time?"

"Oh," Steve thought his heart shattered into a million pieces. Had he imagined the night going well and they were having a good time? "I just-I figured that we would-um."

"I'm kidding, Steve," maybe that wasn't the best response. "I would love to go out with you again. I'm sorry, that was really mean. I had a lot of fun with you tonight. I joke around when I'm nervous."

"Don't do that to me," he placed his hand over his heart. "You scared me. I thought that you weren't-that we-I thought that I had screwed up what we had. I like you, Mady. A lot. You've done so much for me in such a short amount of time, and I don't think I could ever repay you for it. Then I went away, and all I could think about was you. What you were doing, what we could have been doing if I was there with you."

"Are you done?"

"I spill my guts to you and all you ask is am I done?" he was shocked. "How rude!"

"I knew showing you _Full House_ would come back to haunt me," she shook her head. "I should have gone with _I Love Lucy_ like any sane person."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Maybe," she challenged. "What are you going to do about it?"

That was a good question. What was he going to do about it? Steve could think of quite a few things.

"What do you want me to do about it?" he retorted, boldly putting his hands on her hips.

"You're a smart man, Steve," she whispered. "I think you can figure it out."

Chills, just like the first time, coursed throughout her body when his lips pressed against hers. Their first kiss was nice, but there was something about this kiss that made her legs turn to Jell-O. The way his hands held onto her, the way his body felt against hers as she wrapped her arm around his neck. If only he didn't have to go.

"I'm glad you had a nice time," he spoke, forehead resting against hers. "I can't wait to take you out again. Do you have a day off any time soon?"

"Not until next week," she thought back to the calendar sitting on her desk. "I can't wait to go out with you again too. I do believe we have a movie marathon to complete."

"That's right," he said. "What were we at? Order of the Phoenix?"

"I think so," she couldn't help but kiss him again. "Call me tomorrow when I get off work?"

"You got it," he reluctantly pulled away from her sweet embrace. "Sweet dreams, Mady."

"Oh, they will be," she told him, accepting one last kiss before he left. "I am in so much trouble."

"You took a long time out there," Kelly announced the minute Mady opened the door. "You do know you're grinning like an idiot right? I take it the date went well?"

"It was perfect," she hung her coat up in the hall close. "I can't believe you stayed. It's really late, and you have to be in earlier than I do."

"I like to think of it as grad school all over again," she said. "I brought an overnight bag and everything. You're going to tell me all about your night, and don't you dare skip any of the details, girl."

"Fine, let me change first."


	11. Chapter 11

**Another time jump, kids. Sorry, not sorry; I know some of you would have liked to watch the relationship evolve more between Mady and Steve, but I need to storyline to keep going. How are we supposed to get to the good chapters that take place months away if I write out every detail of the relationship? Enter the third cliché in most Captain America stories. I couldn't help myself. Surprised no one picked it out yet.**

 **Steve might be OOC in this, but it's my fan fic, so I don't care what you have to say.**

 **Sundays will still be the main updating day, but if I'm bored, like today, I will update another chapter throughout the week. It might be Thursdays, might be Wednesdays, who knows, you'll have to keep your eyes peeled.**

 **Peoplers – I will be getting around to posting twice a week. I have two chapters near the end of the story that I need to put together, but I will start posting Thursday and Sunday.**

 **Supesfan18 – Thank you! What is Fury up to? You'll have to wait and find out.**

 **Kim6020 – Thank you so much! That is so sweet of you to say. At first I was a little nervous when I started this piece, thinking that most people would automatically go to the usual Steve/OC story. Hopefully, I can keep it going through the end.**

 **Brazilwolf – Thank you for your review. I'm glad you like the story and the relationship between Mady and Steve.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

"You're doing a lot better today, Jared. I'm proud of you. Remember when it hurt to run half a mile?" Mady tried to catch her breath as they rounded the Lincoln Memorial for the fourth time that morning. "Have you talked to Jamie lately? Asked her out?"

"Thanks," he wheezed, feeling the all too familiar tingling sensation in his left leg. "No I haven't. She hasn't been to any of the last couple of meetings, so I couldn't ask her."

"Maybe she'll be back today," she downed the rest of her water. "You've been stalking her for how long now?"

"I am not stalking her!" he exclaimed, rubbing down his left knee.

"Uh huh," she shook her head. "What's her favorite movie?"

"Fight club."

"Birthday?"

"October 16th."

"Siblings?"

"Two little brothers."

"Right, clearly not stalking," Mady checked her watch. 9:42. "Well, we might as well head over to the VA. You don't want to be late again."

"That was one time, and it was your fault to begin with!" Jared shouted. "If you weren't so busy talking to your boyfriend, we would have been on time."

Mady grinned. She would never get tired of hearing that. Steve Rogers was her boyfriend. No matter how many times someone said it, she still couldn't believe it. They had been together officially for a little over a month now, and they were loving every minute of it.

"What did you even do for Valentine's Day? I didn't see you post anything last week," he sped up to open the door for his older sister. A jerk he may have been, but he wasn't raised in a barn.

"You know, you don't have to share everything with the world," she waved to Sarah as they passed the receptionist. "I'd like to keep my private life private, thank you very much."

"Dear God, you slept with him didn't you?" he covered his mouth like a child being told a huge secret. "Oh my God, don't tell me anything because that would be gross."

"No, Jared, I didn't sleep with him," she answered with an eye roll, entering the empty room, chairs arranged in a large circle. "Hate to break it to you."

"You didn't? Talk about a Valentine's Day wasted," he scoffed. "Let me guess, you said you loved him to his face for the first time."

"Nope, didn't do that either."

"Why the fuck not?" he threw his hands into the air. "You tell me all the time that you love him. Why can't you say it to his face? Or better yet, he should tell you. He's like a love-sick puppy around you."

"No shit," Mady looked around the room.

It was hard not to love Steve. He was perfect in almost every way. He was funny. He was kind. He was everything she'd ever wanted in a man, but sometimes his best feature got on her nerves.

Sure they were taking their relationship slowly, but she had needs damn it! She wanted him to be physical. No, she wasn't expecting sex from him yet, even though that would have been nice, but she was growing tired of his hands staying on her hips all the freaking time. "Think you'll be done at the usual time today?"

"Probably. Not going to stick around like you usually do?"

"Not this time. I have some errands to run."

"Errands or _errands_?" he wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"You're such a child," she announced, the chairs beginning to fill up around them. "Call me when you're finished if I'm not back in time."

"Will do," he saluted her as she left. "Hey, Jamie! Welcome back."

"Not going to join us today, Mady? Haven't seem you around here in a long time," she smiled at the man in front of her. "Just because you're a doctor and super important, doesn't mean you can't come down here and hang with us common folk."

"Oh, Sam," she laughed. "I missed you."

"Missed you too," he embraced her tightly. "Everyone does. It would be great if you could stay."

"Next time, I promise," she told him. "I have some things to do before I head into work. I've got a long night ahead of me."

"Sounds like a fun time," he replied. "Well, it was nice seeing you. Have fun with those things."

"I probably won't," she confessed. "But thanks. Keep my brother in line, Wilson."

"Yes, Ma'am."

* * *

It had been a long time since Mady had been in the building. She tried her best to not go in for obvious reasons. There was a reason no one knew about her. How dare Nick tell her to walk in through the front door?

"All right, Nick. This better be worth it. I don't like wasting my days off," she announced as she popped into the room on the top floor, plopping herself into the chair in front of the man, propping her legs up on his desk. "Why do you need me this time?"

"It's good to see you too, Hewitt," Nick said, his attention fully on the tablet in his hands. "It's been a while."

"For good reason," she responded. "I didn't take you as a Candy Crush fan. I couldn't get passed level thirty-seven without wanting to blow up my phone."

"Funny," he continued, turning off the device. "I need you and Nat to run over to Ukraine for me."

"For what?"

"It's all in here," he slid the file across the table. "Be back here at 1400 hours. A plane will pick you both up. You should be back by midnight if everything goes according to plan."

"Everything looks pretty simple," she skimmed through the pages. "What's this for anyway? Let me guess, you can't tell me. It's classified."

"I would if I could, but I still don't know what it is to be honest with you," Nick answered. "After I find out what these guys have been using it for, I'll let you know."

"All right," Mady rose to her feet. "I'll be back later."

She made her way back to the VA just in time to listen in on the end of the meeting. Most times when she did this, she felt like an eavesdropper. No matter how many times Sam and the others told her she was allowed to join in. They were just so tight with one another, and she felt like an outsider.

When she and Jared made their way back to his apartment, he couldn't contain his happiness while he told her that Jamie had said yes to his invitation to coffee.

"She had the biggest smile on her face," he cheered, flicking the lights on. "I can't wait until tomorrow!"

"I'm happy for you, little brother," she smiled. "Just don't let her know you have a shrine in your closet."

"I do not have a shrine! You are so mean to me!" he flopped onto his couch. "So how were errands?"

"Fine," she answered. "Do you need me to get you anything? I can run down to the pharmacy if you need some Advil or whatever."

"You already took care of me once today," he replied. "I'm fine. Go ahead and head back home. You have time to rest up before you have to head to work right? Take a nap or something."

"Not as much time as I would like," she said. "Nick wants me back in an hour."

"Then what are you doing here?" he asked. "Go clean up, you reek!"

"Love you too, you jerk. Let me know how your date goes," she waved as she headed back to her place.

* * *

Natasha couldn't help but shake her head as she watched Steve fight with himself in the meeting room yet again. It was like the meeting room was his venting space. Was he not aware that other people needed to use the room too?

She thought that the man would be back to normal after he and Mady had gone on their first date, and he was, for the first couple of weeks anyway. Now he was back to this pre-date phase. There was no way he had screwed something up already.

"Are you going to continue wallowing in self-pity, or are you going to tell me what's going on?" she asked, chuckling when he jumped. "What did you do this time?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Steve answered continuing to look out the window. "Don't you have somewhere to be? I still don't know why Fury is letting you go out on a solo mission. What is he thinking?"

"Fury has his reasons," Natasha answered. "Don't worry, I'll come back in one piece. I'll be back tomorrow morning to save your ass like usual."

"That makes me feel so much better," she joined his side, looking at the citizens below.

"Is something going on between you and Mady? Did you have a fight or something?"

"No," he shook his head. "We've been great actually. Better than great. We're having a good time."

"Then what's got you all down-in-the-dumps?"

"It's private."

"Oh," she didn't want to push him any further. Steve was just starting to trust her. "Well, if you want to talk you know you can talk to me. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks, Romanoff. Good luck with your mission."

* * *

1400 hours her ass.

Mady was a stickler for time, and the fact that she had beat Nat to the jet was annoying. She wanted to get in and get out of the mission as quickly as possible. Why Nick had picked her for this, she didn't know. She was only called in for the most important missions. This one, this one anyone could have gone in to get the assholes that were in Kiev.

"Can you not tell time?" she scolded the red-head, arms folded across her chest. "1400! Not 1415. What took you so long?"

"I had a run in with your man, and he's not his usual self, right now. Would you happen to know what's up with him? It's starting to affect our missions," they stepped into the jet together. "I don't want to have to explain to Fury why Steve was too busy being in his own mind then focusing on his team."

"What are you talking about?"

"I want to say it's stress related, but he wouldn't tell me a thing. He hasn't said anything to you?"

"No."

"Are you two having problems?"

"Not at all. Everything is wonderful," Mady told her. "Well, mostly. I still can't believe you managed to drag him along when you got back from your mission."

"I had to step in somehow. It was taking the both of you way too long to make a move. You both needed the push. What do you mean by mostly?" Nat questioned.

"I don't really think it would be appropriate to talk about such things with you, Nat."

"But I'm one of your best friends!" she exclaimed. "Is Rogers not good in the sack? Is that was this problem is about?"

"I wouldn't know," Mady sighed.

"So that's what this is about. Spill!"

"Why do you even want to know about my relationship problems?"

"Because it's affecting my team," Nat shouted. "So what, you haven't had sex with him. What's stopping you? I mean have you seen the man you're dating?"

"Why don 't you sleep with him?" Mady retorted. "And you're sounding like Kelly, so stop it."

"He's not my type."

"Right, you're into those geeky, shy guys that can turn green at a moment's notice," Mady watched as they flew through the clouds. "What's our ETA?"

"Twenty minutes," the pilot answered.

"All right," she sighed. "Don't give me that look, Nat. I trained you, I know all of your tells."

"Obviously," Nat crossed her arms. "How many other people know?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Probably just me. I'm just super observant, you know."

"Anyway, back to the situation at hand, why don't you just go for it. He clearly wants it as much as you do."

"Then why doesn't he just throw me against that wall? He keeps his hands on my hips all the time!" It felt good to finally vent to someone.

"I think he's waiting for you to give him the okay," Nat told her. "Think about it. He doesn't want to push any boundaries with you. He doesn't want to screw anything up. He loves you."

"He could tell me that too," Mady snorted. "I know we've only been 'together' for a little while, but we've been hanging out forever it feels like now."

"That doesn't matter. Be the bigger man and do it before you both get stuck in the rut. You don't' want to be stuck in it forever do you?"

"Hell no!" she exclaimed, shoving the gun into the holster on her thigh. "I might die if that happens."

"Then when we get back, I think you should do something about it, and make Rogers get back to his old self."

"That's going to be difficult since he's going on another two-week mission starting tomorrow morning," the pilot announced that they were about to land. "Let's get this over with. I'm going with fifteen minutes."

"You're sure? That's practically insane," Nat asked. "Isn't our record thirty?"

"I don't remember. It was over three years ago."

"You haven't been out in the field in over three years?"

"Why would I? Nick doesn't need me at all times like you."

"They should, you're a damn good agent."

"I'm not an agent," Mady said, jumping out of the jet before Nat. "Damn it's cold!"

"It's Kiev in February," Nat rolled her eyes. "Imagine what it would be like if these suits weren't heated. I like your new one by the way. It says Rose more so than the other one."

"Are you looking at my ass again, Nat?" Mady joked. "What would Bruce have to say?"

"Such a joker. Let's go."


	12. Chapter 12

**I guess most people are not happy with Mady being a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. Oh well, you can either wait it out, and see what happens, or you can leave. But I think you'll like how things work out.**

 **Not going to lie, I got a little lazy with this part. It's practically a repeat of chapter 11 with some extra points added. I'm not that happy with it, but I had to add some stuff to fill in the time between the plot with the movies and whatnot.**

 **Sam0728 – Why thank you, I love plot twists! I'm glad that it surprised you so.**

 **Tkc . zombiepe – Who says Mady's one of Nick's minions? She's not even a S.H.I.E.L.D agent.**

 **AlwaysChillin98 – Is that a good or a bad on my? I hope it's good.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

His knees couldn't stop shaking as he waited on Mady's couch, waiting for her to finish up getting ready for their date that night. They had been on many dates already, but there was something about that night that made him jittery.

"Steve, are you ready?" she asked, heels clicking against the hardwood floor, joining him in the living room.

She was a complete vison in that tight, ruby red dress.

"Are you all right?" she placed a hand on his arm. "You look a little pale. You're not going to pass out on me are you?"

"No, no, I'm fine," he insisted, pressing his lips against her temple. "You look absolutely stunning."

"Thank you," Mady blushed. "You look very handsome yourself, Steve. I can't believe we get to go to the Golden Eagle again. It's one thing to go twice in a year, but twice in two months, that's crazy! Being Captain America can't be all bad if it can get you into fancy restaurants. I can hear the cheesecake calling my name already. Are you experiencing déjà vu like I am?"

"Maybe a little bit. At least the weather is better than the first time."

"Right! No chance of me falling on my ass," Mady stated.

"And yet you still have heels on."

"Duh, great ass, remember," she said. "Don't deny it, I saw you look last time."

"You saw that huh?" his faced reddened.

"I'm an observant individual, Mr. Rogers," she giggled. "Don't worry, I like watching you leave too. Let's go, I'm starving."

"You're always starving," The couple made their way down the street arm in arm while the stars shined brightly above them.

"Welcome back, Mr. Rogers," the hostess greeted the two, leading them back to their secluded booth in the back. "Here you are."

"So, how was Australia?" Mady asked menus cast to the side, the both of them already knowing what they wanted. "I've always wanted to explore the outback."

"A dead end," he exhaled loudly. "I feel like we're being sent out on missions just because. We're not doing anything productive. The only mission that had any purpose was Natasha's solo mission to Kiev. She had to bring back these thugs for questioning or something. She got back relatively quick too. Surprised everyone actually."

"Does that really surprise you? Natasha seems like the woman who gets things done," Mady sipped at her wine. "At least, that's what I got from her. I saw her on my way to work the other day."

"Really? That's interesting," Steve thought aloud. "Anything happening at the hospital?"

"A few surgeries, but nothing life-threatening," she told him. "But that could change next week. I have a high school boy coming in on Friday for a laminectomy. Poor guy. He can't go through the day without having excruciating pain."

"That sounds horrible," Steve commented.

"I can only imagine what he's going through."

"But you're going to fix him up so he won't have to experience the pain anymore."

"That's the plan."

Dinner was the best way for the two of them to catch up. With Steve being away for two weeks, and Mady busy at the hospital, there was a lot to talk about. Mady was incredibly jealous when Steve showed her pictures of kangaroos, dingoes, and koalas because of course he had time to take pictures for her.

"We can go sometime, if you want," he said when their food arrived. "The beaches were outstanding."

"Only if we get to go snorkeling and surfing."

"Deal."

* * *

"Will there be any dessert this evening?" The waiter asked once they were finished with their meal.

"I don't know if I can eat another bite," Mady answered with a frown. "Which is really unfortunate since that cheesecake was the best thing I ever ate."

"We could always get some to go," Steve offered. "Eat it when we get back home."

"You're so smart," she grinned. "One slice of cheesecake to go please."

"Very good," the waiter bowed, taking the dishes back to the kitchen.

"As long as you don't eat the entire thing," Steve chuckled. "Kelly told me you scarfed it down in less than two minutes last time."

"How dare she talk to you without my permission," Mady placed a hand over her heart, pretending to be offended. "Some friends I have."

"Friend huh?"

"We may be in a relationship, Rogers, but you're still one of my best friends. Not many people can put up with all this craziness."

"You got that right."

"You're cruising for a bruising, Steve," she said. "There's no way I can eat the whole thing this time. I just ate my body weight in food. I guess it's extra gym day on Sunday."

"You're prefect, Mady," Steve told her. "You don't need to go to the gym."

"Not everyone can eat what they want and look like you, Steve. Some of us have to exercise to look this good."

"I'm glad to see you still have your sense of humor."

"It's one of the best qualities of mine, don't you know?"

"Oh, is that what that is?" Steve joked handing the waiter his credit card.

"You're hilarious," Mady said, taking the doggie bag in her hands.

"I told you, you've rubbed off on me," Steve laughed, rising up out of his seat. "Ready to go?"

"If we must," she sighed. "Where did the time go? It always speeds by when we're together."

"Good question," he replied, helping her into her coat. "Must have been in good company."

"It was okay."

"You're so mean."

* * *

The feeling in the bottom of his stomach was back. He never went up into Mady's apartment when the date was over, but there he was, sharing the dessert in the comfort of her kitchen. But what was going to happen when they were finished? As much as he wanted to move forward with their relationship, he didn't want to go too fast. Officially they were only together for a little over three months, but they had known one another for much longer. These feelings he had for her; they weren't going away any time soon.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You're looking a little red. First white, now red, what's going on?"

"Yeah, I'm um-I'm fine."

"Steve, don't lie to me," she traced her fingers over his cheek. "What's going on in that brain of yours?"

"Nothing, I'm just overthinking things."

"You expect me to believe that?" she asked, helping herself to the last of the dessert since she knew he wasn't going to finish it, before adding the plate to the dishwasher. "Well, whatever it is, I want to thank you. Tonight was perfect, just like every other date we've been on."

"Is this your way of trying to get me to talk?"

"Is it working?"

"I think you should say it one more time for good measure," he smirked leaning against the island. "Just to be safe."

"I find it amazing how quickly you can go from being insecure to being a jerk. That's a real talent."

"I've been hanging around too much, and like I said, I was just overthinking things. You know, you really do have the best view of the city," Steve announced, gazing out of the large bay window from the living room. "I've got nothing but a giant brick wall to stare at from my window."

"I would have to agree," Mady sighed, making her way over to join him. "My view is pretty great."

"I meant the one outside of the window," he replied, absentmindedly pulling her into his side.

"That's fine too, I suppose," she laughed. "But I think I like this one a little bit more. It's later than I originally thought. I don't think it's a good idea for you to travel home by yourself at this time of night. You can crash here if you want."

"I don't want to overstay my welcome," he said. "And Kelly is coming over to visit you tomorrow-"

"Not until 3:30 in the afternoon," Mady interrupted, placing her hands on his chest. "You could never overstay your welcome. Half of my closet is your stuff now anyway."

You need to be bold Steve. That's what Bucky would tell him in this situation anyway.

Be the one to make the move and everything else would just fall into place. Was he sure taking the next step would be the right thing? Why he was asking himself this question was ridiculous; of course moving forward would be the right thing.

"Okay," he said, before capturing her lips with his own.

Fucking finally, Mady all but yelled in her head. She had been trying to get Steve to stay the night for weeks. He was the best pillow a woman could ask for. She just wasn't expecting him to be so forward about it. Not that that was a bad thing. She was the one who had to start anything physical between them. This was quite the turn on.

"Steve," she gasped, breaking away from the kiss. "What are you doing?"

"Um," he stopped abruptly, cheeks reddening within second. "I was-you're not-"

"You're adorable when you're flustered," she grabbed his hand, leading him towards her bedroom. "I like this spontaneous Steve. Let's hope he sticks around."

"You do?" he asked, sighing slightly when he realized that he hadn't' made a complete fool of himself. "It is?"

"I thought that was obvious," Mady replied, shutting the door behind her, looking up at her boyfriend with a lustful gaze. "Unless I'm being way too forward right now and you want to leave. I completely understand."

So she was just as nervous as he was. She didn't look like it, but Mady was excellent at hiding her emotions when the situation called for it. Who was he kidding? There was no reason for this.

Mady knew what Steve was doing. He was debating with himself once again.

"Steve," she whispered. "You need to stop thinking. I know what's going on in that head of yours. I won't push this, I won't push you, I just thought-" she moaned when his lips clashed with hers again, wasting no time in wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You talk too much," he whispered, pulling her as close to him as possible. "You still like spontaneous Steve?"

"Hell yeah I do," she nodded, returning the kiss with great fervor. "It's really sexy."

"I'm glad you approve," he smiled, hoisting Mady up into his arms as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Steve had seen this scene play out in his dreams, but nothing could beat the real thing. Nothing could beat the feeling her lips against his hot skin. He felt her fingers undo his shirt buttons with ease. With a shrug of his shoulders and unfortunate disconnect of their bodies, his shirt fell to the floor.

One down, many to go.

Mady knew Steve was a fit man. She had caught him shirtless many times, but having that wonderful, chiseled chest pressed against hers made her insides burn with desire. She broke her lips away from his lips, trailing them down over the ridges of his stomach. Steve Rogers was one amazing specimen of man. The way he shivered as she ran her fingers over his chest was also a great ego boost.

There were so many emotions and thoughts running through Steve's head as they all but attacked each other.

He couldn't help but chuckle at the sounds she made while he pulled her dress up as slowly as possible. Every inch he climbed from her stomach to her throat, the tighter her hold on him became. Why hadn't they done this sooner?


	13. Chapter 13

**Four days away! Who else is seeing Civil War on Thursday? I am freaking out! It's finals week, so there will not be another update until next Sunday. The next few chapters are still mostly fillers with some important information mixed in. We still have a while before we get to the Winter Soldier chapters, so enjoy the fun while it lasts.**

 **Supesfan18 – I can understand that, but is anyone really normal in the MCU anymore? Oh trust me, when Steve finds out, he will not be happy. Not one bit. That's a long way away from now, but I think you can imagine what will go through his mind, especially after when he goes through during Winter Soldier. You'll be waiting quite a while, but it'll be worth it. Thanks for the review!**

 **AlwaysChillin98 – That makes me feel better. Thank you for that. Oh, it'll be interesting, but that's really far away. You have time to use your imagination to try and figure out how things are going to go down.**

 **Brazilwolf – Hell yeah he did! I'm glad you enjoyed it.**

 **Erudessa-gabrielle – I hope this will satisfy your craving.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

Mady never had a problem with the sun waking her up in the mornings. This time however, she didn't appreciate the blinding rays waking her up at ten after seven in the morning, or it was the grumbling in her stomach telling her to eat something and soon. Unfortunate really, since she would have to leave the warm cocoon she was currently nestling in.

Untangling herself from Steve's embrace was no easy task, but somehow she managed. With a quick kiss and small giggle when he pulled her pillow into his chest when she left, Mady slipped on his discarded shirt, and made her way to the kitchen to start making something to eat.

Steve felt the absence of heat, and he didn't like it. Not one bit.

Eyes still closed, he reached across the bed only to come in contact with a set of warm sheets. Frowning, he grabbed her pillow and hugged it to his chest, her fruity scent still lingering. That made him smile. If only the real thing was there with him instead.

Groaning loudly, he rolled onto his back, sat up and stretched to see that he was indeed alone. Odd. A moment later, the intoxicating scent of bacon came in from the hallway. He grabbed his pants from the floor and made his way to the kitchen where Mady was singing along to a song playing on the radio while making some omelets for the both of them.

"Good morning," he smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist, kissing her shoulder. "You weren't in bed when I woke up."

"Good morning to you too, Rogers," Mady dropped the spatula on the counter, turning around, draping her arms around his neck. "I know, but my stomach woke me up. I'm positively starving! Someone wore me out last night. You must be hungry too."

"Among other things," he answered, kissing her again. "I do believe you're wearing my shirt."

"It was just lying there on the floor you see," Mady explained, running her hands down his chest. "And I don't think you would appreciate walking around the kitchen naked."

"I wouldn't mind," he said, hands roaming down her thighs. "But we might have to cover the windows. I don't want the neighbors getting a free show."

"Mr. Rogers, am I turning you into a horn dog?" Mady moaned, her lips trailing along his jawline. "What would the public say?"

"Seeing as this is a private matter, the public will never find out about it," Steve answered. "Horn dog?"

"You still have so much to learn," she laughed. "Now quit distracting me, soldier, or these eggs are going to burn, and nobody likes burnt eggs. How many do you want?"

"Two is fine," he said.

"Two? Going on a diet?" Mady joked, sliding him a filled plate.

"No, ma'am," he said. "I just think having you make me ten omelets is a little much."

"What? You were hungry, and I had to get rid of the food in the fridge."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Steve shrugged.

"It is such a beautiful day out. Almost wish I was at the beach."

"Weren't you just in South Carolina for that weekend conference oh, I don't know, two weeks ago?" Steve asked.

"Yes, but I didn't have time to actually go to the beach. No time to get a tan or go in the ocean. Worst conference ever! I usually get a few hours during those things, but did I get one in South Carolina? No, of course not." Mady huffed.

"We could take a trip," Steve offered. "There would be a lot of tanning and beach lying time."

"You'd want to go to the beach with me?" she asked, clearing his now empty plate. Damn, that man ate fast.

"Sure," he answered. "You and me on a sandy beach, that sounds wonderful. Almost as wonderful as seeing you in my shirt right now."

"Oh, is it now?" Mady raised a brow at him.

"I definitely think so," he replied, trapping her between him and the counter. "But you know what would be even better?"

"What?"

"That shirt back on the floor." Steve lifted her up onto the granite tabletop.

"I've created a monster," she laughed, pulling him down with her. "What the hell was I thinking?"

"I just needed to find the right partner," Steve spoke, silently thanking Bucky for his advice. "I am pretty sure I found her."

"You don't have to tell me. I can feel it," she said. "Now shut up and kiss me, you fool."

"Yes, ma'am," he smiled, his hand running up her thighs, removing his shirt from her body.

"Oh, Steve, you still have so much to learn," she said, tossing the shirt to the floor.

"Why don't you show me?" he challenged.

Did he really say that or had she imagined it? Her eyes grew wide at his declaration. The ideas that freaked him out last night were long gone now. Damn this Steve Rogers was sexy.

"I don't know what happened to you last night to be like this, but I like it," she hooked her leg around his hips, flipping him over onto his back so she could straddled his waist. How she did that, Steve didn't know. "I love it actually."

"Love it huh?" Steve asked with a cocky smile, taking a fistful of her hair, kissing her deeply. "I don't know how you managed to get me on my back so easily, but I like that a lot too."

"What did I tell you about talking, Captain?" Mady questioned, hands resting on the fly of his pants in as serious of a voice as she could muster. When he didn't respond, she smiled. "Do you trust me?"

"I want to say no, but then I would be lying," he said. "Isn't this dangerous? What if people see us? What if- oh my god!"

"That wasn't a request, Rogers," she glared at him.

"Right, got it," he groaned, tossing his head back onto the table.

"That's what I thought," Mady grinned. "I think you're going to enjoy this."

* * *

"You'll call me when you get back right?" Mady hollered from her room, buttoning up her jeans. "I want to make sure you made it back in one piece."

"You know I will," Steve replied from the bathroom. "But what I really want to know is why Fury called me in for a mission. Today was supposed to be a training day."

"Someone needs saving," she laughed, handing Steve his jacket. "Be careful."

"I will," Steve grinned, pressing his lips against hers softly. "Tell Kelly I say hello."

"Will do. Now go save the world."

With one final kiss goodbye, Mady was left alone to clean up and make her place presentable for her friend even though Kelly wouldn't care, but it made Mady get her mind off some things.

* * *

"There he is," Rumlow chuckled once Steve joined the rest of the STRIKE team in the meeting room. "What took so long, Cap? Have to help a little, old lady across the street?"

"Funny, Rumlow," Steve said, taking the empty seat. "I had to stop at my place for a change of clothes. So Romanoff-"

"So you weren't at your apartment when we called you? That's very suspicious," Rumlow interrupted. "Did you have yourself a hot date last night, Cap?" he along with the rest of the men laughed.

"I don't believe that's any of your business, Rumlow," Steve retorted, averting his gaze to Natasha. "What's the mission, Romanoff?"

"Terrorists in Egypt," Natasha said. "Fury wants us to go in and sort them out."

"Sounds easy enough. Let's head out," Steve nodded, making his way towards the exit only to be pulled back by Nat once everyone had left. "What?"

"You can't hide anything from me, Steve," she said. "This might not be as big as New York, but it's still an important mission. These guys are bad news. I need to know your head is in this. There aren't going to be any problems are there?"

"You're asking me this question? Who's the captain of this team?"

"I do not doubt you as our leader, Steve," Nat answered, sliding her way passed him to the hallway. "You have a hickey on your neck."

"What?" he exclaimed, hand flying to his covered skin. That sneaky, little- "Natasha!" he could hear her laughing from the hall.

* * *

"He took you where? Again?" Kelly asked, all but spitting out her wine out on the floor. "No way! Twice in least than a year? You are so lucky! Oh, I've been dying to go there. I want to sink my teeth into that cheesecake. It looks divine."

"It was," Mady sighed.

"I am so jealous!" Kelly exclaimed, tucking her feet underneath herself. "You didn't bring me any leftovers did you? Some friend you are."

"I couldn't eat it all either; we had to finish it when we got back."

"Hold the phone," Kelly placed the glass on the side table. "Steve actually came up after a date?"

"We had to finish the dessert!"

"Uh huh, like I would believe that," Kelly shook her head. "You're not giving me any details. Spill it!"

"I know what you're trying to do, Kel, and it's not going to work. Besides, nothing happened."

"Liar!" Kelly jumped up off the couch. "I can read you like a book. Something happened, and by the redness on your cheeks, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it wasn't a little something either."

"Kelly!"

"I'll take that as a yes," the woman smiled in victory, sitting back down. "You finally slept with him! How was it? I bet it was amazing. How could it not be when your man has the body of a god?"

"I'm not going to get out of this am I?" Mady dropped her head. Kelly shook hers. "Of course not. Yes, I had sex with him."

"I knew it!"

"Shut up, I don't want the entire complex to hear," Mady said. "It was amazing! Oh my God, Kel. It was wonderful. It was like out of a movie."

"What movies are you watching?" Kelly asked. "And where can I get them? Maybe I could get Mike to watch them with me."

You're funny," Mady deadpanned. "That's not what I meant."

"I know, but it's fun to get a reaction out of you," Kelly grinned. "So tell me, is he as well equipt as I think he is?"

"Are you fantasizing about my boyfriend?"

"I'm just curious? Steve is a very attractive man; I just wanted to know if he had the spear to match the shield."

"And then some," Mady answered. "It was hard getting out of bed thing morning."

"It must have been really good then."

"Almost as good as the second time."

"Second time? What happened to shy, inverted, Steve Rogers? What did you do to him?"

"Oh, he's still there, just not during intimate activities," Mady finished off her wine. "He's an animal. It's so sexy."

"Is it getting hot in here?" Kelly began to fan herself. "Damn girl. Did you go all night?"

"Most of it," she answered. "Then we passed out, woke up, had breakfast, and then fucked on the island like horny college kids."

"Shut up! You did not?" Kelly shouted, looking between her and the kitchen. "I hope you cleaned up afterwards. That would be very unhygienic."

"Of course I did."

"Because that would be gross."

"I doubt it'll be the last time."

"It never is," Kelly shook her head. "You know, if you really wanted some fun, you can-"

"Kelly, don't worry about it. Steve and I are perfectly fine."

"If you say so."


	14. Chapter 14

**Posting early because tomorrow is Mother's Day, and I'll be busy.**

 **Civil War was awesome wasn't it? Who else saw it? Let me know what your thoughts about the movie were as well as the chapter!**

 **Additional note, if anyone would like to have an idea of what the house looks like here's what I imagined in my brain: pamdiemer 217-randolph-square-lane/**

 **Brazilwolf – Of course! Thanks for the review!**

 **Peoplers – You think that chapter was worth a rating change? Nothing happened…..explicitly anyway. I can assure you that that's the worst that's gonna happen.**

 **Megan – That's all right, thank you for taking the time to review. You're welcome. I decided it was about time to let Mady and Steve have some fun. I will not be bumping the rating up to M. I'm good at implying, but when it comes to the explicit stuff, I do not think I write it well.**

 **Supesfan18 – Thanks, buddy!**

 **Emp305beta – Another one who thinks I should bump huh? You really think I should? I'm not the best at being descriptive. I'll think about it. No promises though.**

 **Love. Fiction. 2016 – Thank you so much!**

 **Frankiewella – She and Jared are two of my favorite characters to write. I'm glad you enjoy her.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

"Steve, you look like you're about to pass out," Mady chuckled, driving through the back roads to her childhood home. "Everything is going to be fine."

"I don't want to give off a bad impression," he replied, watching the beautiful homes roll by. "Aren't I allowed to be nervous? This is kind of a big deal!"

"You've met my parents before you know," she pointed out. "And you have Jared to keep you company if everything goes to hell. Right Jared?"

"Yeah, man, you have me," Mady's brother commented from the back seat.

"That was only for a few hours, not an entire weekend," Steve announced. "It's not going to be just your parents either. Your other relatives are coming. The house is going to be full of people!"

"You're right, there are going to be a lot of people," Mady smiled thinking about how long it had been since she had seen some of her relatives. "It'll be fine. Think positive. Remind me again, Jared, why you're spending a week? You're going to be sick of them after two days. Three tops."

"It's been forever since I have been here! I think I'm going to enjoy it," he said. "I'm not you, sister. I actually like spending time outdoors."

"Whatever floats your boat," Mady continued. "Just a heads up, Steve; our nieces and nephews are fans of yours, Marty being your biggest fan. I already told Jake and Mark that they can't bring any memorabilia along with them, but there will be hugs, tears, and most likely some shouting. Prepare yourself."

"But that's not until tomorrow morning," Jared chimed in. "You get to relax with the normal people for a bit so you can get comfy. Breaking you in easy and all that."

"How kind of you," Steve jaw dropped as Mady pulled into the long driveway. "This is your house?"

"We were fortunate children growing up," Mady nodded. "Everyone in high school wanted us to throw crazy parties, but that never happened. Welcome to our lovely abode."

"Wow," was the only word that could escape his mouth when they exited the vehicle. "Yeah, it's a good thing you brought me up a day early."

"Good call, bro," Mady punched Jared's shoulder, unpacking the bags from the trunk. "Do you know if the dogs are coming up with Mark and Jake?"

"Haven't heard a thing," he replied, hoisting the bag onto his shoulder. "Probably. Those crazy mutts love running around and splashing in the pond."

"There's a pond on the property?" Steve asked, taking one of the heavier bags.

"It's more like a tiny lake, but yes," she answered. "Come on let's get the good bedrooms. Another reason why we came early."

"Is there going to be enough room for everyone?" Jared questioned as he opened the front door. "How many people are staying over?"

"I don't know. Hey mom!" Mady shouted from the foyer. "Who all is staying over tomorrow night?"

"There is no need to shout, darling," Linda appeared from the dining room to their left. "I see you made it all right. Welcome to our home, Steve. It's nice to see you again."

"Thank you for having me, ma'am. Your house is beautiful," he said, surveying the rooms that he could see on the first floor.

"Call me Linda, dear. Ma'am makes me feel old," the woman turned to her daughter. "And to answer your question it's just you three and the rest of your siblings. So what is that? Nine? Ten? I've lost track. Come into the kitchen, all of you must be starving."

"You're damn right," Jared dropped his bag by the door, running towards the back to what Steve believed to be the kitchen.

"Get that out of your system now, boy," Marcus exclaimed from a room Steve couldn't see. "You know your grandmother hates that kind of language."

"Kind of like someone I know," Mady joked pulling at Steve's hand. "Eat first, tour later. If I'm starving then you're practically dying."

"I'm not dying," he followed her, passing through a living room with very, very high ceilings and into a spacious kitchen. "Whatever is cooking, it smells delicious."

"Thank you, Steve," Linda smiled from the stove. "Help yourself to whatever is on the table. I made chicken, ribs, a little tester for tomorrow if you will. I need feedback, so don't hold back."

"We never do," Mady spoke getting the two of them plates from the cabinet. "Jared, why am I not surprised?"

"Waa?" he asked mouth full of food. "I'm hungry, woman!"

"Really? I hadn't noticed," Mady rolled her eyes, handing one of the plates to Steve. "Definitely steal some corn bread. Mom makes it best."

"Don't lie to the man, Madalyn," Linda responded.

"I swear you are the only one who calls me that anymore," she said piling on the barbequed chicken. "I'm not lying, Mom. Everyone knows it's true. Why isn't dad joining us?"

"He's just finishing up some work. He'll be here in a moment or two."

"Dad's never one to miss out on some good food," Jared explained to Steve as he joined him at the table. "Especially food that's as good as Mom's."

"You too just love to humor me don't you?"

"It's true, Linda," Marcus joined them. "Don't deny it. Now where are my hugs children? I haven't seen you since Christmas."

"Oh yeah, dad," Mady rolled her eyes. "Five months is such a long time."

"It is when you're old like me," he laughed, engulfing his only daughter into a giant bear hug. "I think you need to visit me more. It's lonely when it's just your mom and me."

"Mom, I think that's a que for you to get him a dog or something," Mady laughed.

"Oh no, we have enough of those when your siblings come over," Linda chuckled, joining the rest of them at the table. "Marcus just needs to find something to do with his time. Don't you, honey?"

"Oh, I have a lot of things to do to occupy my time, just not when the children are here," Marcus winked at his wife. "Good to see you again, Steve. Glad you could join us for the holiday."

"Thank you for including me," he replied. "I'm looking forward to it."

"It should be a great weekend," Marcus dug into his plate. "Linda, my darling, you did it again! I hope you made a lot of food. All of this is going to go within the first hour."

"It's a good thing I made double of everything," Linda took the last seat. "I can't wait to have everyone together. It's been so long."

"Most of us were here at Christmas, mom," Jared said. "Are you losing it in your old age too?"

"I am not that old, Jared," Linda scolded her youngest. "Your aunts and uncles weren't here for Christmas."

"Technicalities," Jared waved her off. "So, ten of us, four bedrooms; how is this going to work?"

"The little ones will take the media room, so that's three, but you can use that room tonight. Jacob and Lisa get one room, Mark and Jessica get one, and Mady and Steve get one. What's so hard about that?"

"I just wanted to know," he shrugged. "Won't those sleeping arrangements cause some problems?"

"It shouldn't," Marcus glanced over to his little girl and her boyfriend. "Right?"

"Not at all, sir," Steve answered.

"Good man, although, those kids in that media room," Marcus shook his head. "We might need to put timers on the television."

"Might be a smart idea," Linda nodded. "Madalyn, why don't you take Steve up to one of the rooms then give him a tour. I'll clean up and then we can-"

"You know the rules, mom," Mady stacked the empty plates together. "Whoever cooks doesn't clean. We can do it. Steve and I do the dishes all the time."

"You don't have to do that."

"It's no trouble at all, Linda," Steve replied. "You shouldn't have to clean up after you made this wonderful meal."

"Yeah, what he said," Mady added from the sink. "Go and relax. Do you want to wash or dry?"

"I'll dry this time."

* * *

Since Steve had woken up from the ice he had never been somewhere so nice and quiet. There were no cars, no sirens, no hordes of people. It was nice. After he and Mady had finished with the dishes, she led him up to the second floor, which was just as nice as the first, to the room they would be using for the next two nights. He could get used to this. She then took him through every room of the house to get a good lay of the land so to speak. He was pretty sure that he knew where almost everything was. But his favorite spot had to be the porch branching just off of the back room on the first floor. It was the perfect place to relax and look at the stars.

"Hey, I thought I'd find you here," Mady announced, joining him on the couch. "It's much different from the city isn't it?"

"Very different," he nodded. "But I like it. I like it a lot."

"I used to spend many nights out here," Mady told him. "My favorite thing was when it was raining. It was so easy to get lost in my thoughts."

"I bet," he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Thank you for bringing me. I'm looking forward to tomorrow now."

"Wow, that was a quick 180," she giggled, leaning her head against his side. "Just make sure I'm around with my camera when my nieces, nephews, and grandfather get ahold of you. I might even put it on YouTube. Can you say one million views in less than an hour?"

"How about you don't," Steve suggested. "Where's this pond you told me about in the car? You showed me everything but that. I'm starting to think it doesn't exist."

"Come with me," she sighed grabbing his forearms, out to the backyard and taking two towels along the way. Maybe her mom was on to something with keeping the pile by the door. "Trust me, I'm not going to take you out to the middle of nowhere and kill you."

"That's reassuring," he couldn't help but smile as she laughed, leading her towards the path lined by dozens of trees. They hadn't gone far, but it was a long enough walk away from the house which surprised him, but when Mady and he stumbled upon their destination; it was worth it. "Forget the back porch; this is my favorite spot."

"The porch is still be the best place when it's raining," Mady said, taking a seat on the swing hanging over the edge of the water. "The lake is pretty wonderful though. Join me?"

"Will it be able to hold me?" he asked, hesitantly occupying the surprisingly soft pillows and blankets.

"If it can handle my Uncle Jimmy, it can handle you," she giggled, tossing her shoes into the grass behind them, sighing loudly. "I used to fall asleep out here all the time. Once or twice I stayed out here all night."

"I don't see why not. It's as big as a bed with pillows and blankets," Steve took the blanket, covering the both of them up. "This is pretty comfortable."

"Yeah it is," she snuggled into his chest. "You can see the stars much better from out here too."

"It's beautiful," he replied after a few moments, running his fingers through her hair.

"Have you ever gone swimming in a lake?"

"Can't say that I have."

"Would you like to?"

"We don't have anything to go swimming in," he noted.

"You're so cute," she laughed, rising to her knees, pulling off her shirt and shimming out of her pants. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

Steve watched as she jumped into the water, causing the swing to sway back and forth. If he wasn't at her family home Steve would have jumped in right away, but what if they were seen? He didn't want her parents to think badly of him.

"No one can see us," she broke through his thoughts as she resurfaced. "I know that's what you're thinking about. We won't get caught. I'm the only crazy one who comes out here at this time of night anyway."

"Well when you put it that way," The water was cool against Steve's skin when he joined Mady in the water. Not freezing like he had expected. "So I can take this off the list."

"What's that?"

"Swimming in a lake."

"You can take skinny dipping off too you know," she wiggled her eyebrows childishly at him.

"Yeah, I guess I can do that too," he said. "I think you're becoming a bad influence on me. Maybe I should leave before it's too late."

"Yet here you are," she countered, floating around in the murky water.

"For some strange reason, here I am," he joked "I'm glad I am. It's nice being out here with nothing to worry about. Not having to look over my shoulder. Being with you out here, I could get used to this."

"Do you ever think about what your life could have been like?" Mady asked, swimming over to him. "If you didn't get stuck in the ice I mean?"

"What I first woke up I did," he sighed, wondering why she had never asked him this before. "Every day for a little while, but then I wouldn't have you in my life would I?"

"You would have been happy," she pressed her forehead against his. "Don't tell me you wouldn't have. You would have had the life you wanted. Peggy. A family."

"I might have," he relied not really sure if he liked where this conversation was going. "Who knows, maybe Peg and I wouldn't have been the right people for each other. I can't dwell on the past anymore. I have you in my life, and you make me happy."

"Oh I do, do I?"

"Quite a bit actually," he grinned, giving her a passionate kiss. "I think you knew that already."

"I might have," she replied. "We could mark off a third item on your list."

"What's that?" even the darkness around them couldn't hide his blush. "Oh."


	15. Chapter 15

**Update today since I received some of the best news of my life last night! I decided to celebrate. This is a continuation of the last chapter because I know you are all interested to see how the meeting goes between the little kids, grandparents, and Steve goes. Think it's possible for this story to reach 100 reviews by chapter 20? I would love that.**

 **Carlypso – Thank you!**

 **MysticReader99 – I am so glad you are enjoying the story!**

* * *

 **Chapter 15**

The next morning everyone in the household was up bright and early, finishing up the cleaning and cooking to make sure everything was ready for the other family members to arrive.

Mady was busy in the kitchen with her mother putting the finishing touches on the monstrous feast they were going to enjoy while Steve was with Marcus and Jared were outside, preparing for the hurricane that was about to arrive. Steve hadn't met Mady's nieces and nephews, but he had heard the stories.

"So you showed Steve the pond did you?" Linda asked handing her daughter the cupcakes they had made for the little ones because for some reason little kids did not love cheesecake like normal people.

"I did," she answered. "He loved it."

"Don't we all," Linda laughed. "Would that also explain why you both didn't get in until well passed eleven o' clock?"

"What? We can't just lay out by the water and enjoy nature?"

"Enjoy nature my ass. At least tell me you both got a shower afterwards. I don't want my sheets smelling like pond scum."

"Mom," Mady gasped. Her mother rarely ever swore. "Get that out of your system before the kids arrive."

"You are definitely my daughter," she surveyed the kitchen. "I think everything is ready. Go and join the boys. See if they need any help."

"They probably don't. You know how they are, and this is for if you get to the kids before I do; I haven't told Steve about you know what yet, so we need to keep them from spilling the beans."

"You got it," Linda nodded, looking out the window to the backyard. "You're right, they're done too. Go tell them to clean up."

"Why? We're going to get all dirty again anyway. There are going to be at least five dogs and fifty-thousand kids running around."

"There aren't that many, dear."

"It certainly seems like it sometimes," Mady muttered. "I'll go change. I'm most likely going to be on swimming duty. Again."

"Probably, you spend enough time out there to get used to the water last night."

"Mother!"

* * *

Mady knew she was running behind schedule when she heard the car horn from the driveway. Her oldest brother was a compete child. Shaking her head, she pulled a tank top over her bikini and gunned it downstairs. Her nieces and nephews were the first ones through the front door, running as fast as their legs could take them, tackling her to the ground.

"Aunt Mady, we missed you!" they showered her with kisses. "We haven't seen you in ages!"

"You all saw me at Christmas, you crazy kids," Mady embraced them tightly. "Regardless, I missed you too. Listen, I brought someone with me that I want you to meet."

"Is it your boyfriend?" Taylor asked. "I heard Mommy talking to Daddy about how you have one. They said it was about time."

"Did you bring Captain America with you?" Marty shouted.

"Wow, Jess, I love you to," Mady said to her sister-in-law. "Come on, he's outside and he's really excited to meet you guys."

Steve was out back with Jared and Marcus when the car horns echoed through the trees. That must have been Mady's brothers. He remembered her saying they were the most childish people she knew.

"Ready to meet the rest of the crazy crew?" Jared gripped his shoulder. "I wish I could post the pictures on the internet, but I won't. I'm not going to be that much of an ass."

"I appreciate it," Steve said. "Does anyone know –"

"Nope," Marcus answered. "Uh oh, incoming," He turned just in time to see his girl slide the glass doors open, followed by the tiny group of children. "At least Marty isn't wearing his costume today. That's good."

"Costume?"

"Aunt Ross thought it would be funny to get Marty a Captain America costume for his birthday two months ago," Jared answered with a snicker. "I would love to know how Mark and Jess got him to take it off."

"As would I," Marcus agreed. "I see you have brought the cadets with you, Madalyn."

"All but one," she answered, gathering the children around her. "Jake and Mark would like some help with the bags."

"On it," her father and brother headed towards the front of the house.

"All right you little rascals," Mady turned to them. "This is my friend, Steve. You might know him as-"

"It's Captain America!" Marty screamed, wrapping his arms around Steve's legs. "Aunt Mady, you're dating Captain America? That is so cool! You're like, my favorite superhero."

"You must be Marty," Steve laughed, squatting down to the boy's level. "It's nice to meet you."

"Captain America knows my name," the boy squealed. "This is the best day ever!"

"Right," Mady said. "Anyway, this is Jane, Taylor, Josh, and Allie. Layla is the youngest, and she's inside right now with her parents."

"It's nice to put faces with names. It's great to meet all of you. Your aunt talks about you all the time."

"She does?" the smallest child of the bunch, Jane, asked.

"You bet she does."

"What do you say kids, should we get some grub? You've been in the car for a long time."

"Yeah!" they all cheered. "Steve, are you coming with us?"

"Of course," he smiled. "I haven't had anything to eat either. I've been waiting for you guys."

"Let's go then! I saw a bunch of cupcakes in the kitchen!" Taylor exclaimed.

Mady smiled at her nieces and nephews as they followed Steve inside the house. That meeting went a lot better than she originally thought, but the kids were only half the battle. She followed them back inside through the back door, joining the rest of her brothers and their wives.

"Damn, girl. You really know how to pick 'em," Jess beamed at her sister-in-law.

"I try," Mady shrugged. "When are the grandparents getting here?"

"They should be here within an hour," Linda spoke. "Feel free to nibble on some food for now, but we won't be eating until everyone gets here."

"Mady, you know Grampa Ned is going flip his lid when he sees Steve here right?" Jake told her. "Are you sure I can't film it for possible blackmail or something?"

"There will be no filming of any kind, Jake. From anyone."

"Does that mean I can't take a picture with him either?" Marty asked from the table. "No one will believe me that I met Captain America."

"Sorry, Marty-"

"I don't think that would be a problem," Steve interrupted. "But you can only tell your friends that you met me. You can't go into any details. Think you can handle that?"

"Yes! Yes, I can!" Marty beamed. "You're the best, Steve!"

"You didn't have to do that." Mady told him.

"I wanted to," he said. "Besides, no one will believe him without proof now will they."

"Are you sure you're all right with this, Steve?" Mark asked. "We completely understand that you need to keep these kinds of things private."

"I don't mind at all."

Forty-five minutes later the final knock on the door was heard. The kids weren't paying any attention while they played on the floor in front of the fireplace. Linda and Jess made their way to the door, welcoming the rest of the family into the house. All seven of them.

Just like Jake predicted, the moment Grandpa Ned saw Steve, he almost had a heart attack. He didn't believe it at first, but as soon as he realized that Steve was indeed the real Captain America, they acted as though they were old buddies. Mady was going to have a hard time pulling them away when they broke out old war stories.

* * *

"It's been a long time since I've seen you this happy, Mady," her grandmother said as the women chatted on the porch, watching the men and children playing together in the backyard. "I've missed seeing that beautiful smile on your face."

"I smile plenty of times, Gram," Mady announced, rocking baby Layla in her arms.

"Yes, but not like that. He means a lot to you."

"He does," she nodded, laughing when the kids tackled Steve to the ground. "I love him."

"And he loves you," June said. "No one looks at someone like that without loving them. He better tell you that he loves you, or I'll have to have a chat with him."

"He tells me every day, Gram. Here comes the Calvary," she opened the door. "Did they wear you out already, old man?"

"You're hilarious," Steve said. "Really. No, they wanted to ask you a very important question."

"And what would that be, rascals?"

"Can we go swimming in the lake?" they chorused.

"You have to ask your parents first, but I don't see why not. Does that mean you want me to go in with you?"

"Yes!" they exclaimed.

"All right you little devils," Mady handed Layla back to her mother. "When you get the okay, meet me and Steve over there by those trees, and don't forget the towels this time!"

"Me?" Steve questioned. "Why me?"

"If I'm stuck with all these kids, so are you," she answered. "Besides, you liked the lake yesterday."

"Fine," he tried to hide his blush. "But don't be mad when I throw you in the water."

"I'd like to see you try," she smacked his shoulder. "Will you all be joining us for the fireworks when the time comes?"

"We'll be over, dear," Grandma Patty smile. "Go have fun, and keep those children in line, Captain."

"Yes, ma'am," he grinned, following Mady back outside.

* * *

"What's wrong, Jane?" Mady asked from the water. "Don't you want to get in with us?"

"I'm scared," the little girl pouted. "The water looks really deep."

"Don't be a scaredy-cat, Jane!" Marty yelled at his younger sister, splashing his cousins in the face. "Just jump it!"

"Don't be mean to your sister, Marty!" Mady scolded him. "I can recall many times when you were scared of something. It's all right, sweetie. You don't have to come in if you don't want to."

"But I want to!" she exclaimed.

"I got her," Steve swam over to the edge of the water. "I'll catch you, Jane. You don't have to be afraid."

"But it looks so deep. I don't want to sink to the bottom," she leaned over the edge. "Will you catch me?"

"Of course I will. See I can even stand here. I won't drop you," he held his arms out of the water. "You can do it."

"Okay," she answered warily, jumping into the water. "I did it!"

"Good job," she gave him a high five. "Think you can swim over to Aunt Mady?"

"Yeah!" she giggled, flinging her water wings through the water. "Aunt Mady! Aunt Mady, did you see me? Did you see! I jumped in and Uncle Steve caught me!"

"I did see you," her heart skipped when the girl called Steve her uncle. "You were so brave. Marty can't call you a scaredy-cat anymore, can he?"

"Yeah, hear that big brother! You can't call me that anymore!"

"You made her day," Mady sighed into Steve's chest. "You're a wonderful human being."

"I couldn't let her stay out there while we were all in here couldn't I?" he asked. "She shouldn't have to be left out when the others are having fun. Did she really call me Uncle Steve, or did I imagine that?"

"No, she did call you that," Mady beamed. "Weird right?"

"Maybe, but I liked it even though I've only know these kids for all of six hours. Is that weird?"

"No, I don't think it's weird," she said, folding her arms over his. "I liked it too. You're really good with them."

"I love kids." Anyone with eyes could see that. Steve Rogers was a natural. Mady couldn't keep her heart from swelling every time he played with them.

Before they knew it, the sun had completely set meaning, to the kids' dismay, that it was time for everyone to get out of the water. Together, Mady and Steve hoisted each child out and onto the dock to the awaiting adults who handed them each a towel to dry off.

"How long were we out here?" Mady asked, accepting the warm blanket from her mother. "I still think getting a clock out here would be useful. Make Jared do it later this week. It will give him something to do."

"A few hours," Linda answered handing the last towel to Steve. "It seems like you all enjoyed yourselves. They weren't too much of a hassle were they, Steve?"

"They were great, and I think we had a great time," Steve answered. "Didn't we?"

"I'd like to think so," Mady agreed. "Did Jane tell you the good news?"

"She did not," Linda turned to her granddaughter. "What's the good news, Janey?"

"I jumped into the water all by myself, and Uncle Steve caught me," she exclaimed throwing her hands in the air.

"Did he now?" she glanced at the solider quickly.

"She did great," Steve smiled. "It was something like this right Jane?" Before Mady could react, she felt her body fall back into the water with a large splash.

"What the hell, Steve?" she shouted, glaring at her laughing relatives.

"Oooooo, Aunt Mady said a bad word," Josh giggled.

"I told you I was going to push you in," he said. "Don't give me that look."

"You are such a jerk," she told him. "Help me out will you?"

"If I must," Steve grabbed onto her wrist only to be pulled in right on top of her. "I should have expected that."

"Payback is a bitch," she whispered so the little ones couldn't hear, kissing him quickly.

"My daughter will always get her revenge, Steve. Remember that," Marcus chuckled setting up the chairs and blankets.

"Yeah, I think I got that," he nodded. "All right, out we go. For real this time."

"It better be, or I'll strangle you in your sleep," Mady threatened, shivering when the wind hit her now soaking wet body.

"You can't kill Steve, Aunt Mady!" Marty exclaimed. "Who will protect us from the aliens?"

"That's not really what she means, buddy," Jared told his nephew. "What she means is-"

"Okay!" Mady shouted, slipping on a pair of baggy sweatpants and sweatshirt, taking over one of the blankets on the ground. "We can stop talking about that now. Thank you! Don't make me throw you in the water, little brother."

"Like you could," Jared snickered.

"I heard that!"

"That was the goal!"

"My brother is such a moron," Mady mumbled, collapsing on her back. "I wish I was an only child."

"No you don't," Steve joined her. "It's really lonely, and you wouldn't have all of these nieces and nephews to chase after."

"You can have him then."

"You love me too much to get rid of me," Jared announced. "Admit it."

"Keep telling yourself that, buddy," she curled up into Steve's side. "You're so warm!"

Bright colors and loud explosions erupted above the family, their attention averted to the sky. The neighborhood always had the best fireworks. The show lasted a lot longer than most firework displays, and they were much more extravagant. Mady couldn't help but watch as her nieces and nephews pointed out which ones they liked the most and which ones were the biggest.

It was the perfect end to a perfect day.


	16. Chapter 16

**Positive reviews on the last chapter, thank you all so much! I've been thinking about updating every other day or every three days because I'm bored, I don't start work until June, and I feel like I won't have enough time to update on Sundays. The only problem with that would be that some chapters might be shorter than normal. Any thoughts on the matter? P.S. this chapter is boring in my opinion, but I needed more filler.**

 **Brazilwolf – I am a sucker for fluffy family moments. I'm glad you approve.**

 **Overlorded – Aren't little kids the best? I know right, Steve would be the best dad ever!**

 **Writeratheart101 – Thank you so much. That means a lot to me. Thank you for taking the time to tell me your thoughts, and I hope you continue to read this story as time goes on. I think you're going to like how the relationship will evolve and the story will progress.**

 **Erudessa-gabrielle – of course Uncle Steve!**

 **RougeReaper – Thanks! I might get to another one before Sunday.**

 **.2016 – Thank you!**

 **CJ/OddBall – Welcome back! I was worried you gave up on the story. I'm happy to hear that that's not true. You certainly have enough to catch up on. Enjoy the movie, and let me know what you thought about it in another review!**

 **Bashsister – Aww, I am so glad you think so. Thanks for letting me know!**

 **Carlypso – Talk about moving quickly. Marriage will happen, but not yet.**

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

Every time Mady went Steve's apartment she couldn't help but think about how much she hated that he was on the top floor. Walking up all of the stairs was a bitch. Sure, walking up those fucking steps was fantastic exercise, but going up and down those stairs almost every damn day was annoying. The grocery bags in her arms weren't helping out her situation either. If the elevator didn't get fixed soon, there was going to be hell to pay.

"Looks like you have your hands full there," the blonde woman from down the hall spoke. "Need a hand with that?"

"That's putting it lightly," Mady replied, getting the keys out of her pocket with much difficulty. "No, I'm good. Thanks, Sharon. How are you?"

"The same. How about you? Is Steve coming back today?"

"Yeah, and I figured I would surprise him when he gets back," Mady faced the agent from the doorway. "How's Jones from Accounting? Did he pop the question yet?"

"Allen hates that nickname you know," Sharon laughed. "He's good, and no. No, he hasn't. I thought he was going to ask this past weekend, but I don't mind waiting. Allen's worth it, and he knows how tedious my job is. When it happens it happens you know."

"I wish you the best. I'll see you later."

"Have fun, but not too much fun," Sharon wiggled her eyebrows, entering her own apartment. Sharon Carter was something else.

Dropping the bags onto the kitchen table, Mady quickly got to work on a feast fit for a king, or in this case Steve. Two weeks in the desert was a bitch. She almost felt sorry for the guy. Almost. It reminded Mady of her first solo mission in the Sahara.

Worst month of her life!

It wasn't even a solo mission. Screw whatever Fury wanted to call it. She was called in for a search and rescue.

Nick gave her the smallest amount of details for said mission. Of course he did, it was Nick Fury. A group of new agents were tracking down something or another, he didn't tell her, and they ended up getting attacked and taken in as hostages.

Yes, it took her an entire month to locate, fight, and get the agents out of there. It was at that moment that she knew she could not be an agent. She would help Nick if he needed it, but there was no way she could do this sort of thing every day.

* * *

She couldn't help but glance at the clock every few minutes. Steve should have been back over an hour ago. So much for a home-cooked meal. At least there was some paperwork to keep her occupied.

The grandfather clock struck nine from the corner of the room, causing Mady to grow even more anxious. Make that two hours. What if something happened to him? Her heart rate increased just thinking about it. Surely Nick would have contacted her if that were the case.

"I should have known you were going to be here waiting for me when I got back," she let out a sigh of relief when his voice filled the room. She really needed to stop worrying about him. Steve could handle himself. "What?"

"What happened to you?" her eyes grew wide at the sight of the bruises and lacerations covering his face. "You got checked out before you came home right?"

"Why would I?" he grimaced when she ran her thumbs over the deepest cut on his cheek. "When I have my own personal doctor right here waiting for me?"

"What if I wasn't here, Steve?" she asked, inspecting all of the injuries she could see. "What would you have done then? What if you were bleeding out on the floor?"

"I'm not completely stupid, Mady," he eased his way into a sitting position on the couch. "I had the doctors look me over when I got out of my suit. That took forever by the way. They said I have some bruised ribs."

"I noticed," she hollered from the hallway bathroom to get the first aid kit, patting herself on the back for stashing one in there for situations just like this. "Did they tell you anything else?"

"Nothing life-threatening I assure can you," Steve answered, watching Mady work her magic. "What's that look for?"

"Internal bleeding and four broken ribs aren't life-threatening? Bruised ribs my ass," Mady narrowed her eyes at him. "What kind of doctors do they have working over there? There's kind of a big difference between bruised and broken ribs. Can you lift your arms over your head? I didn't think so. Can I take your shirt off for you, or should I just cut it off?"

"It would probably be easier to cut it off," he grimaced. "I was going to throw it away anyway."

"That's a shame," Mady cut the fabric up his torso. "How did this happen? Did you get ganged up on and get kicked in the side for three hours?"

"That's what it feels like," he gripped her shaking hands, something he had never seen her do before. "It's all right, Mady. I've had worse. I'll be fine in an hour or two."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" she asked, dropping the scissors back into the kit. "You're not invincible, Steve. You're still a human being. You can still get hurt and feel pain. You can still die!"

"You don't think I know that?" he questioned, watching her put the first aid kit back in its proper place. "You think I run head first into a fight whenever I go out on a mission?"

"I don't know," she shouted. "I'm not there with you. For all I know that's exactly what you do. No, wait, scratch that. That's exactly what you do!"

"Mady," he sighed deeply before following her into the bathroom, stunned to find her gripping the sides of the sink, tearing streaming down her face. "Don't cry, Mady. Please, don't cry."

"What if you don't come back?" Mady couldn't help but sob, gripping the sink tighter. "What if you go on a mission and you don't make it back? What am I supposed to do?"

This was very out of character for her. Steve couldn't help but think while rocking the sobbing woman in his arms. She was never like this before. This wasn't even a long mission for him. Two weeks was nothing.

"Nothing's going to happen to me, Mady," he said. "It's okay. I'm here and alive. You don't have to worry about me."

"You're not Superman, Steve," she hiccupped. "You're not immortal."

"I know," he said. "But I'm pretty damn close. I'll always come back to you, Mady."

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"How do you know I can't keep this one? I've been doing a pretty good job so far, and I don't feel like quitting just yet. Now stop the tears, something smells delicious. I haven't had normal food since Tuesday."

"It tastes just as delicious too," Mady wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Started without me? How dare you!"

"It's not my fault. Someone was supposed to be here over two hours ago," she said.

"I'm sorry, that was my visit to the doctors," Steve helped himself to a large slice of the lasagna. "Wow, this is amazing."

"I'm glad you think so," the corners of her mouth turned upwards into a small smile. "Can you tell me anything that happened?"

"Nope, I don't even know what I was doing. Not really," he answered. "However, I don't have anything on my schedule for a few months, just training days. We should do something."

"Like what?"

"Whatever you want," he told her. "You've had to put up with my crap the last couple of weeks, so I think it's only fair that we go away for a bit. That is of course if you're allowed to take some time off."

"Are you kidding? My boss has been telling me to take some time off. I've been driving her crazy the last month."

"You've been picking up extra shifts haven't you?"

"I needed to do something while you were away," Mady shrugged. "It was working for a while."

"It was the broken ribs, wasn't it? You've never seen me with more than a bruise."

"Maybe. Have you had worse, or were you saying that to make me feel better?"

"I have had worse, so no. I did not say that just to make you feel better. I just healed up before you could see it."

"Why does that not surprise me?"

"So, where do you want to go? We can go anywhere you want."

"Anywhere?"

"Within reason of course."


	17. Chapter 17

**So far, I like this every other day updating schedule. I'll try and keep it like this for as long as I can. No one said anything about slightly smaller chapters if that's the case, so that's the plan for now.**

 **This one might pull at the heartstrings of some people. There really hasn't been much of Mady's work life in this story. What was it, one time in the first five chapters and that was it? Had to change it up a bit. Mady's not always as cool, calm, and collected as we think she is, as we have seen in the previous chapter. I've also been thinking about how to put Mady in the Civil War story line, so that's going to be fun. Ideas are always welcome.**

 **CJ/Oddball – Who wouldn't worry about their boyfriend when he's going out on missions and could potentially die? I know I would. I found only one fault in the entire movie. 10 out of 10 for sure.**

 **MisfitCarter – That is so sweet of you. I am so glad you like it. Let me know what you think about future chapters will ya?**

 **Megan (Guest) – I mean, if I was in a relationship with Steve I would be worried 24/7.**

 **RougeReaper – Thank you! Was this quick enough?**

 **Love Fiction 2016 - :)**

 **Badkitty98 – I believe she answered that question for herself in a previous chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 17**

Picking favorites was frowned upon, but most people did it. Parents did it all the time, but as a doctor, that was a big no-no and highly frowned upon. But it was hard with a little girl like Rikki.

Rikki Valentine was one of the cutest four-year-olds Mady had ever seen. Sorry to her nieces, nephews, and cousins, but it was true. She had the reddest hair, the greenest eyes, and the cutest smile.

When Mady walked into the hospital room, the girl was sitting on the table, swinging her tiny legs back and forth while singing a song to herself. Alana, Rikki's mother, smiled at her daughter while reading one of the many magazines in the room.

"Good afternoon, I hope you haven't been waiting too long," Mady tried her hardest to get to each of her patients in a timely manner. Waiting an hour for the doctor to show up was absolutely ridiculous, and she swore to never do it.

"Not at all," the mother folded the gossip rag shut, shaking her hand. "Thank you for seeing us on such a short notice. I was amazed that we were able to schedule an appointment so quickly."

Well we're not Canada.

"My pleasure, so what seems to be the problem, little miss?" Mady asked wheeled herself in front of the little girl.

"My head hurts," Rikki told her, legs still swinging back and forth.

"How long has your head been hurting?"

Like every other child when they didn't want to speak, turned to her mother to answer for her.

"A little over a week," Alana answered. "My husband and I thought it was a usual headache and it would go away after a nap or something. For a little while it did, but then the headaches would come back. That's when we decided to come here."

"I see," Mady fished out the small flashlight from her pocket. "Rikki, can you follow this for me?"

"Uh huh," she shook her head, her eyes following the flashlight back and forth.

"All right, I'm going to shine this light in your eyes. If it hurts your eyes let me know."

"Okay."

The four-year-old stayed positive through every test Mady could think of. How a child wasn't afraid of a blood test was something else. Mady hated getting blood taken. When the results came back the more her concerns grew.

After the blood test, Mady suggested to Alana, the best thing to do was to run a CT scan just to be safe. Now, as she looked at the photo, Mady couldn't only imagine what was going to go through the young mother's mind. No parent should ever have to hear the words she was going to tell her.

The good thing, if there could be a good thing with such a situation, was that Rikki came in quickly enough that Mady could do something about it.

She told Alana to talk things over with her husband. Once they were on the same page they would procced with whatever the parents decided to do.

At least Rikki was the last patient of the day. There was no way she would have been able to continue to go through the day with that little girl on her mind.

On her way home, Mady stopped at the liquor store to buy herself a nice bottle of wine to drink the heartache that was balled up in her chest. Why not? She was an adult damn it. Drinking away ones problems was all right every now and again. Not that Mady would know since she had never done so before, but drinking alone wasn't any fun. She needed a buddy.

* * *

Steve was not expecting a knock on his door at nine-fifteen that evening. The only people that it could have been were away on missions, visiting their aunt, or busy at work. To say he was surprised to find his girlfriend holding a bottle of wine, reduced to nothing but tears still in her work attire was an understatement. Something was wrong. Mady never lost her cool when she was on the job. He pulled her into his arms, leading them inside. His shirt soaked within seconds.

"What happened?" he asked, fingers running through her hair. "Come on, Mady, talk to me. I don't know how to help you if you don't tell me what's going on."

"A little girl came into the hospital today. S-she's so cute, Steve. You should have seen her," her entire body shook in his arms. "Her mom told me she was having headaches for a little bit over a week, so I ran some tests to see if we could figure out what it was. She has a brain tumor, Steve. This four-year-old has a brain tumor!"

"Mady," Steve sighed, running his hands up and down her back. "It's all right. Everything is going to be all right."

"I'm going to have to cut it out," Mady answered, chugging a large quantity of the wine in one shot. "She's so young, Steve! She's four! There are so many risks, and what if I don't get it all? What if I get her killed? I won't be able to live myself."

"Don't think like that, Mady," he replied. "You're one of the best neurosurgeons in the city. I would even suggest in the entire country. You're going to save that little girl's life. You don't need this," he took the bottle from her shaking hands, putting it on the table. "Cry your heart till you have nothing left, but drinking won't solve any of this. I don't think your boss would approve of you going into work tomorrow morning with a hangover either."

He had a point. The boss would be pissed off if she came in looking like a slob, and there was no way she would allow herself to be like that if Rikki and her parents would come back to schedule a time for the girl's surgery.

"I guess we'll have to use it some other time," she mumbled into his chest. "We can't let the good stuff go to waste now can we?"

"How about Wednesday for dinner?"

"Smooth transition there, Rogers," she laughed briefly, causing Steve to smile. "What are you going to make us?"

"Something fancy," he insisted. "We haven't done anything fancy in a while. We've had nothing but takeout the last couple of times."

"That's true," she agreed. "I think I can skip Papa Johns for a while. Will there be dancing? We haven't done that in a long time either."

"I think I could make that happen."

"You've got yourself a date, Mr. Rogers. Unless that's when they schedule her surgery of course, but I'll be looking forward to it."

"I'll take what I can get," hugging her tightly. "Are you feeling a little better now?"

"You always make me feel better," she pressed her lips against the underside of his jaw. "Regardless of what's going on in my crazy life."

"Your crazy life?" Steve chuckled. "You know who you're talking to right?"

"You're right, both of our lives are pretty damn crazy," she sighed. "Some days being worse than others. Obviously."

"Isn't that the truth?" he said. "So you do have to go in tomorrow?"

"Yeah," she said. "I hope, if the Valentine's come in, we can schedule Rikki as soon as possible. I want to get this done and over with."

"And you will, you need to stop overthinking and stop stressing out. You know what happened last time."

"Thanks for reminding me," Mady groaned. "Like I told you before, it wasn't from stress. I was hungry. I fell down because I was hungry."

"Keep telling yourself that," he grinned. "It was pretty funny though."

"I had a bruise for a week. Kelly thought we got into a fight."

"Like we would ever have a fight."

"I know right!" Mady exclaimed. "I think she's just jealous. She and Mike fight all the time. Nothing serious of course, but she tells me about it all the time."

"Is there anything she doesn't tell you?" Steve asked.

"Not really. She tells me absolutely everything. Everything is fair game for her."

"Sounds fun."

"Debatable. Hungry? I haven't eaten anything since one o'clock."

"It's nine thirty at night." Steve pointed out.

"So," she hopped off his lap. "Mac and cheese is the best late at night. Almost as good as cereal."

"You are so strange."

"But you love me anyway."

"I do. I love you so damn much," he scooped her up into his arms.

"Warn me next time, dummy!" Mady shrieked. "I was this close to kicking you in a not so very good place. You're such a jerk."

"But I'm your jerk," he chuckled. "I'm glad your back to your usual self."


	18. Chapter 18

**Anyone else know why the reviews aren't showing on the site? It's really annoying. I promise I am seeing them though. Fanfiction needs to get its shit together.**

 **4 more reviews until 100! Will this be the chapter to get there?**

 **Hannah . kaho – Thanks for that information. The internet can only do so much. I might have to check that out. I always am timid when it comes to writing about an illness or something serious that I am not really knowledgeable about because there are always some people that point out how wrong I am. But thanks for the review. I really appreciate it.**

 **Kari10 – Thank you so much! I am glad you enjoy it. The one-shot idea sounds like a good idea. I might have to think about that for future reference.**

 **Brazilwolf – I'm not that cruel of a person.**

* * *

 **Chapter 18**

"Mady?" Kelly poked her head into her friend's office, confounded at the sight of the woman lying on the couch, shaking and ghostly pale. "Mady! Mady, oh my god! Talk to me! What happened? What's wrong?"

The only response she got from her was a painful moan.

Kelly rushed to her friend's side, placing a hand on Mady's burning forehead. This caused Kelly great concern. Mady was perfectly fine when they walked in to work this morning, and she was in tip-top shape when they came back from their lunch break two hours ago. What could have happened between then and now to cause her to get sick?

"Okay, I am going to go talk to the boss, tell her what's going on, and then I'm going to come back and take you home." Mady only had enough strength to nod her head, pulling the emergency blanket tighter around her trembling body. "Don't worry, girl. I'll get you home in no time where it'll be nice and warm."

Lucky for Kelly, Mady didn't have much work to do the rest of the day. The surgery was her last item of business that day, so the boss gave her the green light to take Mady home for some much needed rest. How could she not with a success like that? She saved a four-year-old's life.

There was nothing a sick doctor could do at the hospital anyway. She made a quick pit-stop at the drugstore to get some cold medicine, tissues, soup; anything that could make her best friend feel better.

Mady couldn't have asked for a better friend. The second they walked into her apartment, Kelly helped her get out of her work clothes and into something much more comfortable.

"What do you think got you sick?" Kelly asked once everything Mady needed was within arm's reach. "I've never seen you like this before. Do you want me to call anyone? You're not going to die on me are you?"

"No. I'm not going to die on you, and no I don't need you to call anyone," Mady replied, her head pounding with every word she said, and was the refrigerator always that loud? "I'm fine. This happens to me from time to time. It'll be gone by tomorrow morning."

"So it's just a twenty-four hour thing? That's good to know. You're sure you don't want me to stay? Boss told me to stay with you to make sure you make it out alive."

"I'm positive," she said. "I'm going to go to sleep anyway, but thank you for bringing me back home. You're the best."

"You're damn right I'm the best," she kissed Mady's forehead. "Feel better, and call me if you do need anything. I'll be here before you hang up the phone."

"I will," she waited until her friend left before turning the lights off and falling asleep. Unfortunately for her, as soon as she shut her eyes, a loud knock on her door snapped them back open.

"Mady? Are you all right in there?"

Steve! Their date! It was today! Mady groaned, rolling off of the couch, the headache that was making its way out of her system coming back full force.

"Hi, Steve," she mumbled, opening the door, blanket tightly wrapped around her shoulders. "I'm sorry I didn't call you. I don't think I'll be able to go out tonight."

"It's a good thing I came prepared then isn't it?" he held up a large paper bag big enough to feed a small army. "You do know it is seven o'clock at night right? I figured something was going on when you didn't answer your phone around five. Your best friend really is on the ball with all of this. Kelly told me what was up when I called her, so I thought I would come over here and take care of you," Steve kissed her forehead. "Damn, you're burning up. What are you doing out of bed?"

"Language, sir," Mady giggled, leading him into the living room. "Well, someone had to answer the door. Some asshole interrupted my nap. You don't have to take care of me, Steve. I don't want to bother you. Wait? It's seven o'clock already? I'm so sorry! Ugh, I am such a mess right now."

"Don't worry about it," he answered. "We can relax here. I would actually prefer it then going out anyway. We went out enough when we went to Williamsburg the other week."

"You enjoyed yourself, buddy. Don't give me that crap," she made her way back to her warm cocoon. "So what is on the menu for this evening?"

"Well, I just so happened to stop by the café across the street and got us some grilled cheese and tomato soup. Simple and it will help your cold, and I never said I didn't enjoy it. I just said we went out a lot when we were there. Who goes to an amusement park three nights in a row?"

"Uh, normal people. Busch Gardens is one of the best theme parks in the country. They don't win 'Most Beautiful Park' every year just because you know. And it's not a cold.

"That's what your best friend told me what was wrong with you," he replied, joining her on the couch. "How is it not a cold? Why do you have a fever, and look like you're about to pass out?"

"I wouldn't call it a cold per se," she explained. "I just get these crazy headaches sometimes, feel nauseous for a little while; typical cold symptoms, but it's never really a cold cold. I will be better by morning."

"That's interesting."

"I'm used to it," she sighed. "It happens a few times a year, nothing I can't handle."

"I can put Beauty and the Beast on for you," he offered. "We can have a mini Disney marathon until you fall asleep."

"You are wonderful," she set one of the bowls onto the table. "Did you know that?"

"You've told me once or twice," he chuckled, wrapping her up into his arms once the movie started. "Do me a favor, and try and fall asleep. You'll feel so much better when you wake up."

"I'll do my best."

She tried as hard as she could, but the more the dishes danced around on the screen in front of her, the harder it was for Mady to keep her eyes open. Her head fell to the side, and she was out like a light.

"That didn't take long," Steve muttered to himself, lifting her up into his arms, blankets and all. If she was going to sleep, it wasn't going to be on the couch as comfortable as it was.

He tucked her in before going back into the living room to clean up a bit. It was amazing how much of a mess two people could make. Poor woman, she must have been miserable when Kelly first brought her home from work.

Once everything was cleaned up in the living room, Steve went back to check on Mady. She was completely gone now. It was strange for him, seeing her like this. They had known one another for almost a year now, and he couldn't recall one time where she was this sick.

With one final kiss on the forehead, cringing lightly at the intensity of her fever, he made his way to exit when he heard the quietest of requests.

"Can you stay?"

So much for out like a light.

He would have thought she was dreaming at first, but when he saw her tiny form rise from the blankets ever so slightly, he could see she wasn't, and who was he to deny his girl's request?

"How could I say no to that face?" he asked, slipping out of his shirt and crawling into bed with her.

"Thank you," she closed her eyes again, welcoming the returning warmth. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mady," he flicked the lights off. "Sweet dreams."

* * *

The first thing Mady realized when she woke up was how much better she felt. No pounding headache, no shakes, everything seemed to be back to normal. She knew she would be back to one hundred percent after a good night's rest. What she wasn't expecting was another body lying in bed with her. Not that she minded, she just couldn't remember him joining her when she fell asleep.

"I can feel you staring at me you know," he answered with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Good morning to you too," she giggled, kissing the tip of his nose. "I feel wonderful thanks for asking."

"You definitely sound better," he observed, pressing his lips to her forehead. "Your fever is gone too. You weren't kidding when you said you were going to be better in the morning. It's like you've had this happen before."

"Scary right? This isn't my first rodeo, cowboy," she tossed the sheets to the side. "I should call Kelly and let her know I didn't die. Yeah, that might be a smart idea. I don't need her knocking down any doors again."

"Again?"

"Long story," she walked into the bathroom.

"I bet it is," Steve yawned loudly. "You probably have to go back into work later right? Catch up on whatever it was you missed when you left."

"No, Boss Lady knows about these situations. She gives me the day after off to make sure I am really back to one hundred percent. Tomorrow though, I am in for a fun day. That might actually kill me."

"I doubt it," he watched her from the adjoining room. "Then what are you going to do all day?"

"Is that a trick question?" she asked, staring at his reflection, turning the shower on, stripping before him. "How long has it been since we've been in the same place together, Mr. Rogers?"

"Too damn long," he hopped out of bed in record time, darting into the bathroom behind her.


	19. Chapter 19

**Yay! We broke 100 reviews! To celebrate, I updated again. Is that a good thing? I would think it is. If anyone would like to know, we are officially at/over the halfway point of the story. Crazy isn't it?**

 **Important question, since I won't be able to update at all during the Memorial Day weekend, how would you feel about me updating every day until then? Yay or nay?**

 **What's this? Another filler because I needed to put in so much random crap before we could get to some actual drama, if you could call it that; sorry to everyone who was expecting something fun to happen. Next chapter, either you guys will hate me or love me.**

 **Semper Paratus – Thank you so much. I hope you didn't get into trouble while reading on the job. Thanks for the review!**

 **Supesfan 18 – I am sorry to hear that. I hope things are looking up now for you. Thank you for the review, and if you need someone to talk to I'm only a message away.**

 **CasuallyLazyKitten – You are my 100 reviewer! Thank you so much! You're my favorite, but don't tell anyone. Something is up, but you won't be finding out until later. Unless you can figure it out for yourself of course. Yeah, I don't know what's up with the website. I can't see any reviews from the last couple of chapters. Really annoying. Let me know what you think in future chapters too!**

 **Carlypso – Aw, thank you!**

 **MisfitCarter – I am so glad. I am a sucker for fluff! Who isn't? Steve won't find out for a while yet, but it's going to happen. How do you think Steve's going to take it? Will he be pissed? Or will he be happy? As for what happened to Mady, that will also be a long way away.**

 **CJ/OddBall – At least it's happened before. You'll find out what happened to Mady later, unless you can figure it out on your own of course. What, I'm not allowed to poke at Canadians? Such an easy target, but I am glad that you understand my point.**

* * *

 **Chapter 19**

Mady couldn't remember the last time she had been at the beach for Labor Day weekend. The closest she could recall was spring break, junior year of undergrad at UVA.

She and a couple of her closest friends from back in the day packed up their cars, drove down to her parents beach house in Bethany, and spent one of the best weeks of her entire life soaking up the sun, sand, and surf.

She had been longing to go on another beach trip, and conventions that Children's National sent her to that just so happened to be in a city next to the ocean didn't count. Mady didn't care if it was for the weekend or two weeks. All she wanted was some sunshine, the sand between her toes, and the sound of the waves rolling up onto the shore.

When the holiday weekend rolled around and her schedule was free, Mady told her parents that she was taking over the beach house for the weekend. Giving her the best three and a half days she'd had in years. No work. No worries. No problems. Except for the group of girls that were making their way over to her blanket, giggling like a pack of hyenas, so much for no problems. Did they roll around in a puddle of orange paint before coming to the beach? Who does that?

"Plastics, nine o'clock," she rolled onto her back, leaning up on her elbows. "This is going to be fun. The strip club is that way?"

"Hey, I'm Brittany. This is Laura, and Jennifer," of course those were their names, Mady couldn't help but roll her eyes. "We were wondering if you would like to join us at Nitro tonight. We could show you a great time." Their eyes bore into the man at Mady's side while they anxiously awaited his answer.

Were these chicks for real? Did they actually think they were going to succeed in their endeavors?

It was a good thing Steve's sunglasses covered his initial reply. What was with women in this day and age? Could they not see that he was with someone else, and why wasn't Mady freaking out at their forwardness? Was she smiling? Why was she smiling?

"Sorry, ladies," he answered. "I have to decline your offer."

Ladies wasn't the term Mady would have used. Steve was too nice some times.

"Aw, come on," the platinum blonde, obviously fake, pouted. "I'll make it worth your while."

"If the man said no, he's not going to change his mind," Mady fell back onto the blanket, arms folded behind her head. "Do you not understand what no means, or has all the hair dye killed the rest of your brain cells? Which, let's be honest, couldn't have been many to begin with."

"Excuse you," all three girls gasped. "You wished you looked as good as me, bitch."

"Whoa," Steve stepped in. "There's no need for any name calling. The three of you can leave now."

"But, baby, we were just getting to know each other," she cooed, running her hand along his bicep. "Why don't you come with us? We can give you the time of your life. Make you forget all about this bitch you're obviously being held against your will to be with."

Mady rolled her eyes again. They really were desperate weren't they? She almost felt bad for them. No, not really. That was a lie.

Behind them, a group of college guys had a game of volleyball going. If only one of them would accidentally spike the annoying bitch in the back of the head or something. That would make Mady's day.

"I believe I already told you no," Steve removed her hand from his arm forcefully. "I don't want to have to repeat myself for a third time. Leave. My girlfriend and I were having a nice, quiet day at the beach before you so rudely interrupted."

"I love it when they play hard to get," Brittany, Playboy-wannabe, giggled, her hands grabbing the waistband of his board shorts. That was the final straw for Mady. No one touched Steve but her.

Before anyone had time to reach, two loud voices shouted before a ball smashed into the blonde's nose, making her screech like a banshee.

"Oh my god!" she jumped to her feet, hands covering her face. Blood dripping into the sand.

"We yelled!" one of the frat boys shouted. "She should have taken cover."

"What assholes!" Jennifer or Laura shouted. It really didn't matter which one. They all looked the same to be honest.

"Here," Mady threw the ball back to them. "Good timing there, fellas."

"It was an accident," the server replied. "I swear my serving isn't that bad. I didn't even hit it in that direction. Weird. It isn't even that windy."

"Well, I'm glad you did," she said. "What a dumb bitch. Probably ran off to her sugar daddy to fix her nose."

"It'll go well with those fake tits she has," the boys laughed.

"You all right there, Steve?"

"You know, I've never laid a hand on a woman before, but for her I was willing to make an exception," he answered. "Why didn't you do anything?"

"I wanted to sit back and watch the show," Mady replied. "It was working for a bit there, but the minute she got all handy, it wasn't fun anymore."

"I'm glad I could amuse you," he collapsed beside her. "I was surprised she didn't have a wardrobe malfunction when she got hit in the face."

"Could you imagine what last year's Steve Rogers would have done in a situation like this?" Mady laughed, resting her chin on his chest. "You would have been redder than a lobster, looking anywhere but in her direction. I kind of wish I brought you here then. That would have been so funny!"

"No doubt about it," he smiled. "Does that even count as a swimsuit though? You can't go in the ocean with those scraps of fabric on. What's the point of coming to the beach if you're not going to go into the water? She goes in, and it's gone."

"No, no you can't."

"It'd look good on you though."

"I wouldn't be caught dead in that," she scoffed. "Thanks though. You really know how to boost my ego."

"I do what I can," his lips pressed against her temple. "So what are we doing tonight? Last night was Nitro. The night before was dinner at Off the Hook."

"Best crab legs I've ever had. I was thinking we could stay in for our last night," her eyes closed. "Enjoy it before we have to head back to the hustle and bustle of the city. Why is it that vacations go by so quickly? The week leading up to this took forever, and I feel like we just got here this morning."

"Because when you're on vacation, you're having fun," Steve answered, fingers threading through her hair. "I like that idea. That way I don't have to deal with all of those college kids looking at you like you're a piece of meat."

"Oh, and I didn't have to go through any of that?" she challenged. "You should see the looks some of the women were giving you last night. They were worse than what we just experienced. I was this close to be being on 'Girls Gone Wild.' Do you know how embarrassing that would be?"

"I never said you didn't," he said. "I'd like to not think about what just happened, thank you. Women and their forwardness these days, I'm not a fan."

"Next time, I'll pummel them into the ground for you," Mady said. "Teach 'em a thing or two."

"Then you'll be on YouTube. Millions of hits within the first five hours. Not quite 'Girls Gone Wild' but still hilarious. Your parents would be thrilled."

"You pulled that out of your ass, didn't you?"

"Absolutely."

"What a dork," she snickered. "Are you ready for Fury to give you a shit ton of missions to go on since you had to fight him tooth and nail for this long weekend?"

"I thought we weren't talking about work until Labor Day was over. You're breaking your own rules again."

"Sue me."

"How much could I get? You're loaded, sweetheart."

"And you're not?" she rose a brow at him. "I know how military pensions work."

"I never said I wasn't," Steve got to his feet, offering a hand to her. "What do you say, one more time in the ocean?"

"Steven Rogers," she gasped, he pulled her up with ease. "There are children all around us."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

"I know, but I love seeing the look on your face when I make the comment," she giggled. "You're positively adorable when you blush."

"You're so mean to me," he said, lifting her up into his arms. "But I love you anyway."

"You better," she said. "If you drop me into that water you are going to be in so much trouble."

"But it's so warm," Steve stated, wading through the surf. "I think you'll live."

"Don't do it!"

"Or what?" he challenged.

"No sex for you for a week."

"Madalyn something Hewitt, there are little children around us," he mocked her.

"You think you're hot shit," Mady screamed when her body made contacted with the salt water. "I hate you so much! And for the record, my middle name is Rose."

"No, no you don't," he dove in behind her. "Wait, is it really, or are you pulling my leg? I don't think it's possible for someone to have that middle name and love the flower as much as you do. That seems strange to me."

"Yes, Rose really is my middle name. A girl can't like roses just because? Rude! What are you thinking about? You have a strange look on your face."

"I am thinking about a lot of things," he replied, snaking his arms around her waist. "Did you see those two little boys a few spots down from us?"

"The ones with the Captain America and Iron Man swim trunks? How could I miss that?" she looped her arms around his neck.

"Adorable weren't they?"

"Most kids are at that age. Why?"

"I'm just making an observation," his hold on her tightened.

"Well in that case, did you see the couple four spots over with their baby? Cutest thing I've ever seen."

"Don't tell Jessica you said that. I thought Layla was the cutest baby."

"Cutest baby I'm not related to. How about that?" her mind began swirling with ideas.

"That's fair I suppose," he said. "She looks like you did when you were a baby."

"My mom showed you my baby pictures, didn't she?"

"No, Jared did," he laughed at her expression.

"I'm going to kill him."

"I wouldn't. You were so cute. What happened?"

Mady gasped, splashing him with water then attempting to push him under the waves. Not a good idea. The man was as solid as a rock.

"You are in so much trouble when we get back to the house, Steven Grant."

"Ooo, the middle name, I'm in trouble."

"You're damn right you're in trouble," she glared at the man. "Make it no sex for two weeks."

"I think you're punishing yourself more than me."

"Oh yeah, how's that?"

"We both know that the minute we get back to the house, you're going to be all over me."

"I did. I did create a monster," Mady tossed her head back, groaning loudly. "But when you're right, you're right. You're too damn irresistible."

"Don't break out into song again."

She splashed him again. They were in for a fun night.


	20. Chapter 20

**Yay, they fixed the review problem! And this story has over 50,000 views! Thank you everyone!**

 **How many people are going to be upset with me after this chapter? A lot I'd imagine. We can't have sunshine and rainbows all the time now can we? Mady and Steve have had an easy road so far. It's time to change that up. Also, share the story with your friends. Hell, post some links on Tumblr if you want. Let's spread this puppy around!**

 **Does anyone know how to make cover photos and would like to share their knowledge? I would like to learn how to make some.**

 **CasuallyLazyKitten – No need to panic. Not yet anyway. There's still plenty of time for certain things to happen to our favorite characters. I am so glad that this chapter made your day/night…..I think midnight would be considered night. Oh, you are in for a good chapter right now my friend. Enjoy it, and let me know if you hate me!**

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 **Peoplers – You think so?**

 **Frankiewella – I don't know, does she?**

* * *

 **Chapter 20**

"Do you ever think about what your life could have been like?" she asked, head resting on his chest, his fingers doodling on her exposed skin. "If you hadn't gone into the ice."

There it was.

The question he knew would be coming back ever since she first asked it back in May. Steve had done a good job of avoiding said question so far, and just like the last time, he didn't want to talk about it. The topic just rubbed him the wrong way. He knew that if he told her what he really thought, she would freak out.

There was only one way to get through this.

"When I first woke up it's all I thought about," he answered. "For at least three months I thought about it, but then I got sent down here and met you, reminding me that I don't need to worry about my past anymore. I told you this already, Mady. Why bring it up again?"

"I'm a curious individual, Steve, and you didn't give me a good answer last time," Mady said, gazing up at those warm, blue eyes she loved so much. "I bet you would have gotten your house with a white picket fence, two point three kids, and a dog."

"Maybe," Steve replied. "But I don't think that's what I want anymore. Stability, a family, you can't really have that when working for S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm always away. I work crazy hours. There's no way I could have that. It's not practical, and I'm all right with that."

"Oh," a lump formed Mady's her throat. Then what were they doing if he didn't want stability? A family? Was their entire relationship a waste of time? "Well, I um- I hope you find what you're looking for."

Mady felt the familiar prick behind her eyes and before she could embarrass herself any more, she hopped off of the bed, slipped on the shirt and shorts from the floor and went out to the kitchen to make something to eat. Anything to get out of that room, away from him.

Steve knew he was in the wrong the second those words came out of his mouth. He let out a loud groan, running his hands over his face. What the hell was he thinking? Lying was the absolute worst thing he could have done. Why couldn't he have just told her the truth?

Yes, once upon a time he thought those things, and maybe there was a tiny voice in the back of his head that still told him having a family was next to impossible. But with Mady it was worth a shot.

Why was that so hard to say?

"You didn't want to freak her out, you moron," he spoke to himself. "Way to fucking go, Rogers."

* * *

He had been thinking about a future. A future with Mady. He had been dreaming about it for months now.

The first time he dreamed about it he was shocked. That was putting it lightly of course. The first time he dreamed of Mady and himself he wasn't sure what to think.

Steve had come home after a grueling mission. Dropping his shield in the hallway, he headed directly to his room, not surprised to find her curled up under the sheets wearing one of his t-shirts. She did that a lot when he was away. Steve grabbed a quick shower before joining her in bed, arms automatically wrapping around her.

 _Someone was giggling in his ear._

 _Odd._

" _I think your daughter is awake. I told you to lock the door last night," his eyes shot open to find the woman beside him snuggling farther into the covers. "You get to deal with her this time."_

" _Daughter?" he sat up abruptly, spotting the little, blonde girl giggling from his side._

" _Good morning, daddy," she smiled widely, climbing onto the bed to join her parents under the covers. "Good morning, mommy."_

" _Good morning, baby," Mady welcomed the little girl into her arms, hugging her tightly. "What have your father and I told you about coming into our room when the door is closed?"_

" _I need to knock first," the girl answered, resting her head on her mother's chest. "But I wanted to see you."_

" _You did, did you?" Mady laughed. "Why did you want to see us at…..seven o'clock in the morning?"_

" _Because I wanted to cuddle with you and daddy."_

 _She did just that._

Steve woke up with the biggest smile on his face that morning. Mady thought he had gone mad. He couldn't tell her what he had experienced. They were nowhere near ready to discuss such a topic at this point in their relationship.

Besides, he liked having those dreams to himself.

And the dreams didn't stop there. Visions of their wedding, their children, anything and everything invaded his mind when he shut his eyes, but his favorite had to be one that happened three weeks after the first. One he hadn't expected to have.

He dreamt about Brooklyn. May 9th, 1945 Brooklyn to be exact.

 _He and Bucky exited the plane, stepping out onto U.S. soil for the first time in three years and were immediately attacked by their wives. There were kisses and tears, something that wasn't unusual to either of them._

" _You are never getting on another plane, Mr. Rogers. Do you hear me? Never again," Mady held onto him tight. "You're staying here no matter what!"_

" _I don't plan on it, Mrs. Rogers," he wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her with all the passion he could muster._

" _Hey, now! Keep all that mushy stuff for home," Bucky smacked his friend in the arm. "There are young ones present."_

" _Speaking of," Mady smiled. "We need to get home. Someone really wants to meet their daddy. Officially."_

" _I'll talk to you later, punk," Bucky hollered at the couple that was rushing towards the car._

 _He was nervous. Leaving his wife to go off to war while pregnant was not their original plan. Not at all. Letters and pictures could only do so much, but now he was finally going to see his son._

 _A son that was three-years-old now._

" _Get that look off of your face, Steve," Mady held onto his hand, entering their home. "There was nothing you could do."_

" _I've missed three years of our son's life, Mady," he sighed. "There are so many things that I don't know about my son that I should."_

" _Now you can spend every waking moment with him," she pulled him up the stairs to her son's room. "Joey, I have a surprise for you."_

" _Dad!" the boy jumped up from the floor, rushing over to him, hugging Steve's knees._

" _Hey, buddy," Steve couldn't help but give him a teary smile, scooping the little boy into his arms. "I'm so glad to see you."_

" _I'm glad to see you too," Joseph Andrew Rogers held onto his father tightly. "Mommy would show me pictures before bed every night and tell me stories about you."_

" _Did she?" Steve asked, sitting on his son's bed. "I hope they were good stories."_

" _They were the best," Joey grinned._

" _I'm going to go make us some dinner," Mady turned towards the hallway. "I'll call you when it's ready."_

That was the dream that pulled at Steve's heart the most. The dream that made him decide that a family was what he wanted. Yes, there were still some doubts, but he would do whatever he could to have one of those dream come true.

* * *

Steve finally made his way into the kitchen, having thought he had given her enough space so he could apologize and tell her the truth. She was curled up on couch, an empty plate on the table in front of her, dried tears on her cheeks.

God, he felt like an ass.

"What are we doing, Steve?" she whispered. Her voice sounded raw and tired. "What are we doing if there is nothing to shoot for? Why are we still together if there's no goal?"

"Mady, I'm sorry. I wasn't in the right mind set," he crouched down in front of her. "You know that I love you."

"I love you too, Steve, but what's the point if you don't see a future for us? Why spend all of this time together if we're just going to break up when things got too serious?"

"Why would we break off what we have?" his heart pounded loudly in his ears. "I love you so much, Mady. I would never let you go. Never!"

"That's not what you said a few minutes ago," she commented. "Maybe-maybe it would be best if we took some time to be apart. To figure out what we really want."

"I already know what I want," he told her. "I want you! A family, a house, and a dog. All of it! With you!"

"You expect me to believe that after what you just said?" Mady rose to her feet. "I'm going to go over to Kel's."

"You're not leaving until we fix this. I'm not letting you go when you're angry."

"Don't tell me what to do, Rogers," she glared at him. "It won't end well for you."

"Damn it, Mady," Steve gripped his hair. "I was scared, okay. I have thought about it. A future. Our future. Every possible thing! I didn't want to freak you out okay. That's why I never said anything about it before, and I lied to you. If I would have known you were thinking the same thing that I was, I would have told you a lot sooner. I just didn't want to rush things."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," she grabbed her bag, slamming his apartment door shut.

"Shut up!" Kelly shouted almost spilling the wine all over the table. "He did not say that!"

"I didn't believe it either," Mady said, running a finger around the rim of the wine glass. "I thought I imagined it at first, but I was wrong. Did I waste an entire year of my life, Kel? Was this all a mistake? I thought he was the one you know. I thought I finally found the man I was going to marry, grow old with."

"Of course you didn't, honey. Maybe you did scare him a little. It's not like you've talked about future plans before right?"

"I mean, we've never sat down and talked about it, but there were some days where we would just mention bits and pieces. All hypothetical of course, but I thought with the way things were going we would eventually, you know, move in that direction. Get married, have kids, and all that. I guess it was all just a silly fantasy. Maybe you were right; I should just be a crazy, old cat lady. Think those kittens are still for sale down the street?"

"Mady," Kelly wrapped her arms around her shaking friend's body. "It's going to be all right. Steve loves you, and you said that he told you he was wrong. It's just a snag in your relationship. Everyone goes through them. You'll both be back into each other's arms in no time."

"I don't know, Kel. What if he was just saying those things so I would stay? What if he actually meant a family wasn't for him? I can't be in another relationship where we want two different things."

"Steve's not _him_ ," Kelly said. "You and I both know this. Everything's going to be okay."

She wished she could believe her.


	21. Chapter 21

**How many people shed some tears in the last chapter? I know of at least one. Now, I am not that mean, that's a lie, I'm really mean, but I couldn't let Mady and Steve be apart that long. We're getting close to the Winter Soldier plot, won't be that long I'm afraid because I want to get to Ultron damn it. Actually, I think that might be the next chapter. Look at that. We're moving people.**

 **SilverShadowWolf46 – It's eating at you isn't it? Way to go Steve. Way to fucking go.**

 **Semper Paratus – Yeah, that might not be the best idea. I said you would hate me. Was I wrong?**

 **BrazilWolf20 – It's a good thing I update everyday isn't it? Steve is a terrible liar. Everyone knows this.**

 **CasuallyLazyKitten – Aw, I made you cry? Good, that was the goal. Where did that phrase come from I wonder, 'in the doghouse'? I want to know. I would think Steve would be in the doghouse, although, if I was in Mady's shoes, I would have listened to what he had to say.**

 **WinterOrchid99 – I feel like most people would jump to conclusions. Horrible isn't it? Hmm,** _ **him**_ **might turn up again, he might not. You'll have to wait and see.**

 **WolfSong – I am so glad you like Mady. I am always nervous when it comes to OCs, whether or not people will like them or not.**

 **Sabina Mohammad – Thank you so much! I am glad you like it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 21**

Three days.

Steve hadn't seen Mady in three days.

He had also been in the gym for said three days.

His shirt clung to his sweaty body as he punched the bag in front of him for the millionth time. Every time he shut his eyes, he could see her face. The teary-eyed face that he caused. He knew deep down that she wasn't going to contact him. Why would she? Was she serious? Were they taking a break? Were they over? It hurt too much to think about.

"You need to get out of here, Steve. This isn't healthy. Even for you," Natasha entered the gym. "And you reek."

After two days of observation, Natasha knew something was wrong. Hell, after the first hour she knew something was up with the man. There was something was eating at him. "Let's go get something to eat. Clear your mind, relax, seems like you need it."

"Eating won't solve any of my problems," he grunted, continuing with his jabs and hooks. "Don't you have somewhere to be? Fury doesn't have a mission for you or something?"

"You screwed up big time didn't you?" she asked, leaning against the ropes of the boxing ring. "I don't want to know what's going on, but when your actions affect the team, I want to know. Was it Rumlow again? I know you hate the guy, but you two need to get over whatever feud you both have. Was it Tony? Did he send you another one of those pictures? He's such a child."

"I'm not going to tell you anything. It's between Mady and me. We're fine. We'll fix it. Keep your nose out of my business."

"Don't take your anger out on me, Rogers, and how are you going to fix it if you are spending all of your time in here punching your anger away when you're not with your girl, figuring out whatever it is you need to figure out. You're obviously not fine because you look like you're about to murder someone."

"Mady wanted space, so I'm giving her some," he said. "Is that good enough for you?"

"You are a terrible liar. What did she really say?"

The bag went flying.

"Mady thought it would be good for us if we took a break."

Natasha was not expecting to hear that. Not at all. A break? Them? No way! Mady and Steve were perfect for one another. What could have happened between them to cause the couple to take a break?

"What the hell did you do, Rogers?" she shouted.

"I said something I shouldn't have," he sighed, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "I tried to tell her that I was wrong, but she didn't believe me. I tried telling her what I really thought. She didn't care, so she left. Walked right out of my apartment three days ago, and I haven't talked to her since. No messages or anything."

"What did you say to her to get a reaction like that?"

"I told her that I didn't want a future, or a family. That it wouldn't be practical. What the hell, Romanoff!" he grabbed his right shoulder.

Damn, that woman could kick.

"Why the hell would you say that?" she asked. "Mady loves you! How could you do that to her?"

"You don't think I don't know that?" Steve shouted. "She caught me off guard, and I knew that if I said what I was really thinking, I would have freaked her out."

"So you didn't mean it?"

"No!" he breathed heavily. "Of course I didn't mean it! I used to think that, when I woke up and when we were in New York, but then I came here and things changed. I've dreamt about our future together, Natasha. Our house, our kids, everything, and what did I do? I screwed it up! What if I can't get her back? What if she doesn't want me back? I don't know what I would do if I never get to see her again. She means the world to me!"

"Mady may be pissed at you right now, but I think if you apologize and tell her what you really feel, you'll get her back. You put doubt in her mind. I know you have a great track record with women, but funny enough, we think about family, what our future will be like. I don't, but most do. When you told her that, her world came tumbling down. You just need to build it back up. Be romantic, tell her you love her. Whatever it is that you do."

Something romantic, yeah, that usually worked, but if Mady was still pissed at him, would that be enough?

* * *

She turned the final corner, sprinting the final leg of her five mile run only to come to a screeching halt when she saw him sitting on the stone steps leading up to the apartment complex.

"What are you doing here, Steve?" she wiped the sweat off her forehead. "Don't you have something important to do?"

"I asked Billy if you were in. He told me that you left your place a while ago and hadn't come back yet. Do you know what time it is, Mady? Who goes running around Washington D.C. at two in the morning? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"

"Calm down, Rogers. This isn't the first late night run I've done," she said. "Now I'm going to ask you again, why are you here?"

"I think that's obvious," he got to his feet. "We need to talk."

"I'm done talking to you," she made her way up the steps, but he grabbed her arm before she could enter the building. "Let me go."

"Not this time," he exclaimed. "I shouldn't have let you go before, but for some stupid reason I did. We need to sort this out."

"You've made your point perfectly clear the other day, Steve. We don't want the same things in life, so I did the best thing for the both of us. I walked away."

"You didn't do the best thing for the both of us. Walking away was the worst thing," his eyes softened. "I lied all right. I didn't tell you what I really wanted because I thought that I would scare you away."

"Right," Mady rolled her eyes, trying to break away from his strong hold on her. If he didn't lighten up he was going to leave marks. Not the fun kind either. "You really expect me to believe that?"

"It's too soon to be thinking about this."

"We've been together for over a year now, Steve. We've been friends much longer than that. How the hell is it too soon to start thinking about a potential future together? Obviously we're not going to get married and start pumping out kids tomorrow, but having some idea or plan of some kind wouldn't hurt. Why does this topic make you act-"

"Because you deserve someone who will give you exactly what you want," Steve exclaimed. "You deserve someone who you know will be home every night. You deserve someone that doesn't make you worry day in and day out. I can't give you that, Mady. I go away for weeks, months at a time. If we have a future together, I don't want to put you through that. I don't want to put our kids through that."

"Kids huh?"

"I've dreamt about them," he added softly. "Our kids, the life we build together, what it would be like, what our kids would look like. I want that. I want that with you, but the chances of us having that, it's so unlikely."

So she wasn't the only one to imagine such things. Maybe Kelly was right, maybe she did spring the question on him a bit prematurely. But this was a good sign. A good start.

"Who told it was unlikely?" she asked. "I'm going to go kick them in the face."

"Mady, think about it."

"I have, and it looks like you have too," she replied. "Like I said, I don't plan on having everything tomorrow. It can be years away down the road. Plans can change. I don't care how long it takes. I just want to be with you, you dummy. I love you." Those words; they made his heart swell. He hadn't screwed everything up.

Mady let out a small squeal when he pulled her into his arms, spinning the both of them around like a crazy person, apologizing over and over again, telling her he would never do something to stupid ever again, and if he did, she was allowed to punch him in the face.

"You might regret saying that," she smiled. "I'm glad you came after me."

"Me too," he replied, kissing her passionately. "I missed you so much."

"So did I," she whispered into his shirt. "Don't let me be stupid ever again."

"Deal," their heads shot up when they felt scattered rain drops land on their cheeks. "Maybe we should go inside. We don't want to get sick."

"Afraid of a little rain, Rogers?" she laughed as the heavens opened up above them, drenching the couple within seconds. "Besides, you can't get sick."

"But you can."

"Spoil Sport," she pulled him into the complex. "Come on, I have some hot chocolate that is calling our names."


	22. Chapter 22

**Some spoilers for** _ **Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D:**_ _ **Yes Men**_ **in this chapter. It's not a lot of stuff, but I felt like connecting, and yes, this is the start of Winter Soldier plot. If you don't know what some of the things I talk about in this chapter are, that's from the television show with some changes of course.**

 **Like I said before, this part of the story (Winter Soldier) is not going to be very long, four chapters total. Age of Ultron is what I really want to get to, and you will all understand why when we get there.**

 **Oh, and some things will start to make sense in this chapter.**

 **Semper Paratus – Thank goodness. Let's be serious those two couldn't have stayed mad at one another than long anyway.**

 **MisfitCarter – I couldn't make them be that stubborn forever. It pains me as much as it pains you. Oh my god, their kids would be so freaking cute!**

 **BrazilWolf – Steve is wonderful isn't he? Those two con never break up; I'll die of a broken heart.**

 **Zoelizabeth47 – And you're allowed to think that. (Mady can't be the stereotypical girlfriend once in a while?) I know not everyone will agree with what I write 100%, and that's okay. Unfortunately the website is acting up again, so I can't see your entire review and comment on it, but thank you for telling me your thoughts. I hope you stick around and continue reading the story. Maybe this chapter will shed some light on why I wrote some of the things I did.**

 **WinterOrchid99 – You are very welcome. I couldn't let them be mad at one another too long. I would die on the inside just like all of you. Thank you for the approval, and I hope you will enjoy the rest of the chapters.**

 **Megan – Exploding hearts, that's not good. Did things get messy? There may or may not be a wedding typed out already in a chapter in the near future.**

 **CJ/OddBall – I'm not going to get into that discussion with you because this isn't a place for political debate. Is it a problem that I update fast? Should I go back to every other day? Would that be easier? I have pictured Steve as a golden retriever too! So cute! Him is someone that you may or may not figure out soon. Still debating whether or not to incorporate him into the story.**

 **Love . Fiction . 2016 - :D**

* * *

 **Chapter 22**

"Another convention by the ocean. Why am I not surprised? You are going to hate life again aren't you?" Steve asked, helping himself to another "short stack" of pancakes. "Remind me again why Mary sends you to those conventions? There have to be dozens of ones in the mountains or something. There would be no distractions for you whatsoever."

"Probably. I promise I won't complain about it this time. You won't be there with me. Labor Day will always be at the top of my list," Mady replied, doubt-checking the fridge to make sure most of the perishables were gone. "Wow, you really put a dent into my food supply, Rogers."

"You told me to!" he exclaimed.

"I know. It's good to have you around. You're like a puppy that eats all my leftovers."

"Is that all I am to you? A pet? Way to make me feel so important."

"I aim to please," she laughed, drying the last of the dishes. "I still have to change and the finish packing. After that we can head over to the airport. You know you can stay here. I'm only ten minutes away. I don't mind going by myself."

"And not see you off properly? I don't think so. It's going to be a long two weeks without you, babe. Nice try."

"Worth a shot," she mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Oh nothing," Mady sashayed out of the kitchen.

"I don't think so," he followed her into the bedroom, hoisting her over his shoulder, dropping them both onto the mattress. "You can't get out of it that easy. Don't make me tickle you into submission."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me. You know I will. What time does your flight take off again?"

"Two o'clock."

"So we should get there at twelve-thirty give or take."

"That means we have," she glanced at the clock on her bedside table. "Two whole hours. What can we do to pass the time?"

"We could play Monopoly," he offered.

"You do know how long that game takes right? I'm still in a game with my brothers from 1996."

"Wow that must be a record of some kind."

"Not even close, good buddy," she pushed him off her. "Now get away, I need to pack my stuff!"

"Want me to take the bags you have packed to the car?"

"If you want to."

"You know, I don't understand why you didn't pack everything last night."

"Not everyone can be perfect like you, Steve."

* * *

Thankfully there was no traffic, but with D.C. one could never be too careful. Hand in hand, the couple entered the airport, Steve carrying one of her bags over his shoulder.

"This is the end of the line for me," he sighed, handing Mady her bag. "Have fun, but not too much fun without me."

"You could get through security if you really wanted to," Mady told him. "But I understand why you won't. Don't worry; I probably won't have any fun at all. I will be inside the entire time no doubt. Keep my car safe, I'll be checking for scratches when I get back."

"So your car's more important than me too? I'm feeling the love, sweetheart."

"I know you are," she smiled, pecking him quickly on the lips. "You know I love you, Steve. Take care of yourself all right. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone. I don't want to wake up one morning and find you being talked about on the news."

"You know I'm teasing you right? Of course I'll be safe. What could happen in the next two weeks? Call me when you land, and don't send me any pictures like last time. Rumlow and the rest of the team wouldn't leave me alone."

"You weren't supposed to show anyone, you idiot, and you just jinxed yourself," Mady said. "It was wasn't it? The beach in the middle of winter. You were so jealous. I will call you the minute I land." She kissed him once more before heading through security, and with one final wave, she made her way down the terminal.

"I'm here," she spoke into her phone. "Where do you want me?"

"Gate 4B."

"You got it," she hung up, picking up her pace. "This better be good, Phil."

Gate 4B was all but empty when Mady arrived. A woman dressed in all black with sunglasses was waiting for her. No words were said to each other just a quick nod as the two boarded the plane.

"Long time no see, Agent May," she joined the woman in the cockpit once she changed out of her jeans and sweater. "How are things with the team? How's Phil doing?"

"I could say the same for you, Rose," May smirked. "Not too bad. You'll be able to see for yourself when we get to the Bus. How are things going in D.C.?"

"From what I can tell and by what little Fury tells me, everything is going fine. So what's up with this girl, Skye? What's the need for this personal call?"

The plane hooked onto the Bus less than an hour later.

"Why does it not surprise me that you still have that Captain America poster hanging on your wall?" Phil Coulson couldn't help but jump at the voice when he entered his office, pulling his gun out with impressive speed. "I'm glad you still have that good reaction time. Can't have that go to waste now can we?"

"You should with Skye, looking her over. Not snooping around my office," he sighed, dropping the gun onto the wooden surface. "Of course I still have it. It's my favorite one."

"I wasn't snooping around," Mady stood up out of his chair, taking a nicely wrapped present from her bag. "More like it was your favorite. I have a present for you. Consider it a birthday/Christmas present all wrapped up into one."

"What do you want?" he questioned, shaking the box.

"Just because I get you a gift, you assume I want something? How dare you? I just thought you might want to add to your collection is all. Take down that old one for this nice new-"

"And it's signed!" Phil exclaimed, hugging the poster to his chest. "This is wonderful. How did you manage to get me this?"

"I just asked," Mady shrugged. "Of course I didn't say Phil was you in particular. Steve thinks it's a cousin of mine who lives in California."

"But you do have a cousin named Phil in California. How's Rogers doing? You know, with everything."

"Adjusting well," she answered. "The history lessons were successful, and he's still going over some things on his own time. Now I do believe you have a patient for me. What am I doing exactly? May didn't give me a lot of information."

"To tell you the truth, we don't know that much either," he ushered her out of the room. "For now, I think you just need to look her over. Make sure nothing is out of place."

"Really, Phil? You drag me all the way out here to do a standard check-up? Anyone in the agency can do that for you?"

"But you're the best there is, and I need the best to check out Skye," Phil explained, smiling slightly when he saw Skye laughing with FitzSimmons. "Just to be safe of course. She's been through a lot the last couple of days."

"You're lucky I like you, Phil. I wouldn't do this for just anyone you know."

"I know you wouldn't."

"I pretty sure I'm the favorite. Right Agent Rose?" May spoke, the three of them entering the quarantined room. FitzSimmons jumping to their feet in awe when they saw who had joined them. "You don't need to answer of course. We all know it's true."

"How many times do I have to tell you, May? I'm not an agent."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"I don't think so, she never brings you presents," Phil closed the door behind them. "Skye, this is Agent Rose. I brought her in to check you out. You know about after what happened."

"I'm not an agent," Mady repeated.

"But Gemma already-"

"Oh that's all right, Skye," Gemma Simmons interrupted. "I don't mind. We never can be too careful now can we?"

"Okay," Skye eyed her friend and the agent warily. "I guess. I mean, nothing feels any different."

"That's always good news," Mady spoke, sitting down by her side. "Now, this might feel really strange. Some have told me it's a warm, fuzzy feeling, but it won't hurt."

"What are you-whoa," Skye jumped up at the sensation rolling across her skin. "What are you- how are you doing that?"

"I'm checking out your insides. When I heal people, I can see it inside my head. Kind of like an x-ray," she explained with as little detail as possible. She hated getting into the nitty-gritty stuff. "Bones are healed nicely, but I don't think that's what the problem was. Gemma, can you tell me what happened? Phil and May forgot to give me those important details."

"Oh, well Skye was shot in the stomach," Simmons told her. "In order to save her life, Coulson injected her with a drug. It was amazing."

"What's the drug did Phil used?"

"GH-325," Mady glanced at May quickly. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

"It seems like the GH-325 did a pretty outstanding job of fixing Skye up. I don't see any evidence of a gunshot wound," Mady replied, looking over Skye's abdomen. "And you said you were feeling fine, Skye?"

"Considering I was this close to dying," she held up her fingers just so they were barely touching. "I feel pretty fantastic. Now can someone explain to me why Phil had to call someone here just for this? I told everyone I'm fine."

"Skye!" Gemma and Fitz gasped. "Don't say that. You have no idea how lucky you are, having the Rose coming here to check you out. You have no idea how lucky you are."

"Gemma, Leo-"

"She knows my name too," Fitz whispered, gripping onto Simmons' arms tightly. "I could die a happy man now. Sorry."

"It's all right," Mady couldn't help but giggle at the two scientists. "I've read over some of your work, and I for one am very impressed. I should be the one freaking out over the both of you."

"Hey, Coulson, I was- oh. I see you're all busy. I'll come back later," Mady dropped her eyes to the floor, gritting her teeth. Of course _he_ was here. Why wouldn't he be? He was still part of the team.

"No, it's okay," Phil said. "What did you need?"

"I just wanted to show you what I found. You know with the thing you told me to do," Mady was glad that she was facing away from the man so she could roll her eyes without anyone noticing her. "But it would seem that you're occupied at the moment. I'll go wait in your office for when you're done with all of this."

"That's not necessary, Ward," Phil all but pulled him into the room with the rest of the team. "It's like a family reunion. All of us here together. Just like old times."

"I don't know what old times you're thinking of, Phil," Mady scoffed, meeting Ward's gaze briefly. "Everything looks fine. Skye, take it somewhat easy for a bit. There might still be some lasting effects of the GH-325. May, if I could have a quick chat with you before I'm off to Florida that would be great."

"You're not going to say goodbye to me?" Phil asked. "That wounds me, Rose."

"You know the rules, Phil," was all she said, following May out the door, waiting until everyone was far enough away before continuing. "Why is Ward still here?"

"He's a good agent," May answered. "He can be rough around the edges, but once you get to know him, you would see that he's genuine and a good team member."

"You're sleeping with him aren't you? Don't give me that look, May! How could you sink so low? You know the history between me and the guy. He's going to do the same thing to you that he did to me. Get out while you still can," Mady told the older woman, letting out a deep breath. "GH-325, Phil knows. Are you going to contact Fury about it?"

"I am," May nodded sternly.

"Be pissed at me all you want, but there's something about him that I can't stand, and it's not the reason you know about," she placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Just be careful. I don't want to lose you too."

"There's no evidence that Ward killed your friend, or got your friend killed. I think you're still overreacting," May replied. "Have fun playing doctor."

"I always do," she sighed, grabbing her bag. "Let me know what Fury says when you tell him. This could change everything, and screw up everything we worked for."

"Will do."

"I'll be waiting for your call," Mady replied disappearing right before Agent May's eyes, landing in the restroom of the hotel that was hosting the conference, quickly changing back into normal clothes. "Right on time. Oh, Steve, you are going to be so jealous."

* * *

The first thing Mady did once she checked in and made her way to her room was collapse onto the bed. Teleporting took up almost as much energy as healing did. It was a good thing she didn't get sick this time. She had no idea how Kelly would take her almost "dying" again.

Stupid Phil and his house calls.

He was lucky she liked him so much.

The phone from her bag buzzed, Mady couldn't help but groan into the pillow on the bed. There was never a moment's peace. Fishing through her bag, she checked her phone to find one missed call.

"Damn it," she hissed. "I am so sorry, traveling makes me tired."

"It's okay," Steve laughed. "I take it you made it to the hotel all right."

"I did," she grinned, making her way over to the balcony that overlooked the ocean. "Steve, you should see this place. It's absolutely breathtaking. I have the best view."

"Is the goal to make me jealous? If it is, you are succeeding."

"That is always my goal," she answered. "Anything fun and exciting happen since I left?"

"It's only been a few hours and no." he said. "Beautiful day for a run though, so I did that. Not as much fun as it could have been by the way. I didn't have my running buddy with me."

"But without me you can actually get in a decent workout. I bring you down. I bet you did, what, 15 miles without breaking a sweat. You could have called Jared up; he would have joined you for a little bit."

"20 but who's counting? I didn't think about that. I'll see if he wants to join me tomorrow."

"From the way it sounds, you are," she giggled, taking in the sights and smells of the ocean. God, she missed the salty air. "We need to take a vacation, Steve. You and me. No one else. Just the ocean. A repeat of Labor Day but longer, but much longer."

"I like the sound of that," she could imagine the smile on his face. "I'll have to check with Fury and see if I can get off for a week or two."

"Good luck with that."

"He owes me, so he might give it to me."

"Yay for small favors," she yawned. "I need to catch some sleep before we start tonight. Have fun at home. Love you."

"I love you too, and have fun."

"I'll try my best."


	23. Chapter 23

**I am pretty sure everyone will know when this chapter takes place. Not quite as long as I would like it to be, but it's important. Good feedback from the last chapter which I am very happy about. Do some things make more sense now?**

 **SilverShadowWolf46 – That's going to be a fun time isn't it? Steve finding out that Mady hasn't been completely honest with him.**

 **Semper Paratus – Thank you so much! That makes me feel really good about my writing. I'm glad some questions have been answered.**

 **Guest – Someone's really smart. It's going to be fun, when Steve finds out that Mady is (not) an agent.**

 **Silver-Tongued Writer Girl – This that a good thing or a bad thing?**

 **BrazilWolf – Thanks. I wasn't sure how it would turn out in writing. Glad you liked it.**

 **Char123 – Wow, someone's excited. All caps, that's new. Thank you for taking the time to read the story in one sitting and review.**

 **Xeocanaan – You're wish is my command.**

* * *

 **Chapter 23**

Fury was alive. How was that possible? None of this made any sense to Steve. Agent Hill had saved their lives, and now he had discovered that Nick Fury was in fact alive. The entire situation made Steve suspicious of what else his so called friends could be hiding from him.

In the span of three days, Steve's life had come crashing down. Hydra, the agency he had spent years trying to defeat turned out to be fully functioning within S.H.I.E.L.D. How they stayed hidden was a complete mystery to him. Someone would have found out. Someone would have seen something. Fury was the man in charge. How could something like this get passed him?

"Don't look at me like that, Cap," Fury spoke from the bed. "I am just as surprised as you are, maybe even more so."

"I highly doubt that, Nick," he mumbled, placing his hands on his hips, pacing back and forth in the…..sewer? Where ever the hell they were, Steve couldn't care less. "What are we supposed to do now? Hide down here for the rest of our lives? Cower like a dog with its tail between its legs?"

"What? You don't think I've been thinking of a plan while I was down here getting better? What kind of a man do you think I am, Cap?"

"Sir, I would have hoped you were more concerned about getting better than thinking of a way to bring down Hydra," Natasha voiced her opinion. "If you just brought Rose in on this you would be-"

"We don't need to bring her in for this," Hill interrupted, her eyes darting between her and Steve. "Nick's almost 85%. He'll be fine."

"85% isn't enough! Whatever plan you've made, you have a part of it. You can't do anything if you're at 85%. You could die for real this time!"

"Calm down, Natasha," Nick held his hand up at the group standing before him. "Don't worry. Thanks to Rose, the medicine running through my veins will have me fit as a fiddle in a few hours. Just enough time for you to go over and learn the plan."

"Do you know what they're talking about?" Sam whispered to Steve.

"Not a clue," he answered with a sigh. Just what he wanted, more secrets between people he considered to be friends. When were the lies going to stop? "I need some air."

"Cap!" Sam hollered after him.

"Where's he going?" Hill asked. "He can't go outside. He could expose us all."

"I don't think he cares all that much right now," Natasha said. "Sam, does Steve have his phone on him?"

"I think so. Why?"

"Because Rogers is about to do something really stupid," Natasha turned back to Nick's side. "What are the chances that Hydra has Steve's phone bugged?"

"Very likely," he said. "Stop him before he leads Hydra to us."

"Damn it, Rogers!"

* * *

Why wasn't she answering her phone? Steve's nerves were getting the best of him while he waited for Mady to answer her phone. There was no reason to worry. She was hundreds of miles away from this mess. She was safe and sound, wishing she was on the beach instead of being held up in a conference room, but he still needed to know that she was fine. He needed to hear her voice, but it didn't seem like he was going to get his way. Natasha stalked right up to him, kicked the phone out of his hands and watched it tumble down the side of the dam.

"What was that for?" Steve exclaimed, glaring at the woman standing before him. "Do you have any idea what you just did?"

"Do you have any idea what you just did? Hydra could have bugged your phone, you idiot!" Natasha roared. "Do you know the danger you could have put everyone in? Hell, the danger you could have put Mady in! If they can track your phone, who's to say Hydra wouldn't track hers, find her and kill her? She's fine, Steve. She's not here. She's safe. We need to figure out the plan, and take these guys down."

"You're right," he answered after a long pause. "I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry."

"You're damn right, you're sorry," she sighed. "But it's okay. I understand. Come on, let's hear the plan Nick's got for us. It's probably over the top as usual."

* * *

Mady let out a happy sigh as she and Kelly tanned on the beach. Finally, they had time to themselves where they could enjoy the sun. They had gotten out of the panel over an hour ago now, and they were soaking up as much sun as they could before they would be stuck indoors for the next week.

"Aren't you glad I told you to pack a bikini this time?" Kelly sat up, stretching her arms over her head. "You said it would be pointless, but I told you. This is the best conference yet! Hello, hunk at ten o'clock."

"You are married with children, Kel," Mady chuckled, leaning up on her elbows. "He is pretty cute though. I have a feeling he's in college. Why are all of the cute ones younger than us?"

"No matter how many times you tell me that, I'm still going to look," Kelly waved as the man passed them by. "There's nothing wrong with looking. You looked too. Don't tell me you didn't. Uh, have you seen the man you're dating? You shouldn't have to worry about the younger ones being cute."

"I did," she fell back against her towel. "You're right. Steve is much more handsome than any frat boy."

"I bet Steve looks nice in board shorts," Kel moaned just thinking about it. "Not saying Mike isn't attractive in swim trunks, but your man is soooo cut. Think he could talk to Mike about going on some workout plan?"

"Oh, you don't have to tell me. I already know," she smirked. "He looks even better in nothing at all."

"Don't rub it in," Kelly glanced at her friend's bag. "Speak of the devil, incoming. I bet he misses you. You have him wrapped around your finger don't ya? You haven't been gone a week yet."

"Odd," Mady answered her phone. "Hello? Steve?" The only thing coming through was that annoying beeping tone. "That's strange. I wonder what that was about."

"He didn't leave a voicemail?" Kelly asked.

"Nope," she tossed her phone back into the beach bag. "Maybe he wanted to know how the conference was going."

"Or talk about those risqué pictures you sent him," Kelly wiggled her eyebrows at her friend. "You naughty girl you. Didn't he say you weren't supposed to send him pics? He got made fun of or something."

"I didn't send him anything."

"That's bullshit and you know it," an alarm on Kelly's phone buzzed. "Dinner time! I cannot wait to try this place. Supposedly they have the best seafood in town."

"That's saying a lot. There are a dozen seafood places on this street alone."

"Well we're about to find out," Kelly got to her feet, shaking the sand out of her towel. "Don't worry, girl. I'm sure everything with Steve is fine. I bet he just missed hearing your voice. One more week and you'll be reunited."

"This is going to be the longest week ever!"


	24. Chapter 24

**Sorry for the late post again. I had a golf tournament with my dad. Chapter 24 already. Where has the time gone? I'd like to thank everyone for sticking around this long, favoriting, following, and reviewing. You guys are awesome! This story now has over 60,000 views!**

 **Xenocanaan – Mady's being a stubborn little bitch. That's what's up. What do you think? Will Steve blow up, or will he be cool about it?**

 **CJ/OddBall – Since in missed you by one minute, I'll answer your review from last time here. You didn't offend me kid. I stopped because I explode when it comes to politics. I get that from my dad. As long as we're both not cool talking about it, that is A-okay with me. Good to know I wrote out her abilities decently enough. I'm never sure whether or not I do a good enough job at it. Nothing about Grant has been talked about. You didn't miss anything. It's a reference to things that happened long before this story took place. Thank you for hating Ward as much as me by the way. I'm not telling you what happens, you need to read and find out.**

 **Silver-Tongued Writer Girl – Wow, I guess I should make sure the part that drew you in is outstanding so I don't let you down. No pressure or anything.**

 **Guest – Do you think the reaction will be good or bad?**

 **Oceans19 – Will Steve blow up when he finds out, or will he be cool about it?**

 **Brazilwolf – Think Steve will be pissed, or fine with it?**

 **Char123 – Good thing right? I'm trying to get out as much as I can before I start working. That makes me feel so good. You are too sweet! Wouldn't most people?**

 **WolfSymphony – Right? You are allowed to ramble. There is nothing wrong with that. My advice, just go for it. There will be people who like what you write and there will be people that don't.**

* * *

 **Chapter 24**

Mady was trying her best not to fall asleep, but the presenter for the last hour and a half had one of the most monotone voices she had ever heard. Her head was resting on her palm and with every passing second, her eyes would flutter closed. She would jerk awake and go through the motions again and again, or Kelly would pinch her arm.

"How can you be paying attention to this guy?" Mady yawned, thankful that they were in the back of the conference room so they could talk freely with one another. "It's like Lebowski's class all over again. Except worse if that's even possible."

"He's not that bad, and this is actually interesting."

"You could wake me up when it's over," she thought hopefully. "Now that sounds like a great idea."

"Mary wouldn't appreciate spending all this money just so you can sleep," Kelly said. "Wait a second, what's going on out there?"

"What?" Mady spun in her seat, looking in the direction her friend was. "What are you looking at?"

"The news," she rose from her seat, drawing the attention from everyone in the room. "Oh my god! I apologize, Dr. Richardson, but that television needs to be turned on right now."

"What is the meaning of this?" the older man questioned. "Now is not the time to catch up on the latest soap opera."

"It's a little bit more important than that, sir," Kelly turned on the television mounted on the front wall. "Wouldn't you agree, sir?"

The entire room couldn't help but gasp at the footage playing on the screen. Most of doctors present were from the west coast, but some of them lived in the D.C. area like Mady and Kelly.

Mady couldn't breathe. The helicarriers were crashing into the Potomac River. The Triskelion was collapsing to the ground. What was going on?

"…..We are still unsure of Captain America's status."

That was the worst part.

"Kelly," Mady's eyes were wide in disbelief. "I need to go. I can't stay here, I need to-"

"I know," she nodded. "Don't worry, I'll think of something. Go."

"Thank you," Mady rushed out the door, up to her room to gather her things. "Please let Steve be okay." She prayed.

Teleporting while upset was not the best idea. Mady had learned that the hard way, meaning that she had to get on the next plane to D.C. Two hours from then. All around her, people were commenting about what was going on in the nation's capital, children panicking when Steve's name was mentioned, afraid that something horrible had happened to him.

"Damn it, Steve," she muttered to herself. "I knew something was going to happen when I left. I hate it when I'm right."

Two hours later, Mady was finally in her seat, waiting for something from Sam, Maria, hell even Fury, but there was nothing. No one was calling her. No one was giving her any formation. Surly something with this caliber, she would have been on speed dial. With each passing moment, she grew more and more anxious. The fear that Steve could possibly be dead made her heart ache.

* * *

Tears streamed down Mady's face as she all but ran through the hospital. She had seen what had happened to the Triskelion on the news, and couldn't believe it. Okay, maybe there were a few agents that she figured were crooked, but not that many. How long had Hydra been within S.H.I.E.L.D? Her heart plummeted when she turned the corner, an armed guard in her sights.

"Excuse me, ma'am, no one is allowed in there," he grabbed her upper arm tightly. "Strict orders."

"Says who?"

"Says-"

"Me," both the guard and Mady turned their heels to see Maria Hill followed closely by Natasha. "It's all right. She can go in. You don't want the piss off the Rose do you?"

"No, ma'am," the guard paled, moving away from the door. "My apologies, ma'am."

"Thank you," she whispered to the two women, entering the room. Sam Wilson was reading a magazine at the side of Steve's bed. "How long has he been asleep?"

"A few hours," he answered. "It's good to see you, Mady. I'm sure Steve will be ecstatic when he wakes up. I'll tell you what, that healing stuff in his blood is pretty impressive. Any normal person wouldn't have made it out alive. He's a lucky son of a bitch."

"Watch your language in front of the lady," Mady and Sam looked down at the occupant lying in the bed, his eyes fluttering open, a smile on his lips.

"Steve!"

"Hey, man!"

"How long have I been here?" he asked, sitting up as much as he could. "The last thing I remember was fighting Bucky."

"Bucky?"

"We found you lying by the beach by the Potomac," Sam explained. "Bucky was nowhere to be found."

"I figured as much," he groaned. "How is everything? The Triskelion? S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Don't worry about that now," Mady smiled as best she could. "Let's just focus on you getting better."

"I'll be fine and discharged by tonight, Mady," Steve answered, squeezing her hand. "Be out saving the world again by tomorrow. I am really glad you're here. I thought I was never going to see you again? But you're supposed to be at that conference for another week. Are you allowed to leave?"

"You can't get rid of me that easily," she joked. "I think you're more important than a silly, old conference. This mess was all over the news at the hotel, at the airport, I'm so sorry I couldn't get an earlier flight, but nothing was available."

"There's nothing for you to apologize for."

"I have to admit, what you both did was incredible."

"Something had to be done," Sam replied, getting to his feet. "I'm going to go get some food. Do either of you want anything?"

"No, thanks."

"All right," he laughed, leaving the couple alone. "I'll be back later. Don't do anything I wouldn't do now."

"Goodbye Sam," they chorused.

"Geez, okay, I can tell when I'm not wanted," Same left the room. "Would either of you two lovely ladies like to get something to eat?"

"Sam Wilson, always the flirt," Steve shook his head, grin falling from his face when he noticed more tears welding up in her eyes. "Mady, don't cry. I'm here. I'm alive."

"Do you know how long I waited to get a call? Just one call to let me know that you were all right?" she said. "Hours, Steve! I thought you were dead! I kept pacing, waiting for something. Anything! I thought you were gone!"

"Mady," he whispered, wiping her tears away. "I'm fine, or I will be. I know you were scared. I was scared too, but you don't need to be scared anymore. I made it out alive."

"I know that now, Steve, but as time went on, it was like a lifetime. I don't know if I can go through that again. I love you so much, and the thought of losing you-"

"I'm sorry to break up the two of you, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave, Miss Hewitt. The doctor needs to look over, Mr. Rogers," a nurse announced from the hallway.

"But-"

"I'll be here when you get back," he insisted. "Go back home, get some rest. It looks like you could use it."

"It's not like I've been up for 48 hours or anything," she scoffed, kissing him quickly. "I'll be back tonight. Then I can take you home."

"I like the sound of that," he beamed. "I love you, Mady."

"I love you too," she smiled, leaving the room. "Didn't take up Wilson's offer?"

"Not this time," Nat answered as she and Maria followed her. "We need to talk."

"I figured as much," Mady replied.

"There's a lot to go over."

"Half of the agents were Hydra in disguise. What else is there to get?"

"Quite a bit."

"Just when I thought my day couldn't get any worse," Mady mumbled to herself. "All right, but let's talk about this back at my place. I'm starving. Airline food sucks."

* * *

The drive back to her apartment was the longest five minutes of her life. On the way, she couldn't help but look at the destruction of the once proud Triskelion. Now there was almost nothing left and smoke still lingering in the sky.

"I can't believe no one call me," Romanoff couldn't help but look at Maria as they followed the woman into her apartment. "I could have helped you! God damn it, Hill! Why didn't anyone contact me?"

"Nick didn't-"

"Fuck what Nicolas Fury had to say," Mady threw her keys onto the table. "This, what happened in the last few days, is the worst thing that could have happened to S.H.I.E.L.D. ever. Does anyone want anything? I need a drink. Scratch that, I need the entire bottle."

"I don't think that's a good idea right now, Mady," Nat said, flopping down onto the sofa. "Wait until we tell you everything. Then you can drink to your hearts content. After you bring Rogers back of course. Can't have you driving under the influence."

"All right let me have it, and don't leave anything out. I can handle whatever hell was just bestowed upon the city."

"Hydra has been inside S.H.I.E.L.D. since the beginning," Maria said.

"Just rip it off like a Band-Aid, Hill," Mady grabbed the closest bottle she could find, downing about half of it in one go. "No, really. Just let it all out. Hold nothing back."

"All of S.H.I.E.L.D is on the internet so everyone can find out anything they want about us," Nat added.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I'm not a S.H.I.E.L.D agent isn't it?" she asked, offering the bottle to them. "Don't look at me like that. I am sure you both could use a drink, probably more than me. Hell, Fury is probably four bottles in by now."

"Fury's –"

"Not dead," she interrupted Maria. "Don't even try giving me that ridiculous story. I know he told you to tell everyone that he is, but I know better. He needed me didn't he? That son of a bitch! Yet another reason to call me? Or better yet call in the rest of the Avengers. Isn't what why we have them? For problems like this? Banner would have been a good ally to have you know. He could have taken those helicarriers down in a smash or two."

"We didn't have time to call anyone else," Maria answered. "We used who we had, and even with everything that happened, we all made it out alive."

"By the skin of your teeth," Mady stood before the window, thinking about Steve lying in the hospital. "I can't believe this. Hydra, those fuckers. So S.H.I.E.L.D. is gone for good?"

"Yeah," Nat spoke. "We have to start thinking about where to go from here."

"No shit," she scoffed, finishing off the bottle. "Thank God I have a high alcohol tolerance or I would be on the floor right now. Do we know all of the agents that were Hydra?"

"Not yet, but we will soon," Maria told her. "What's that look for?"

"Ward," she sneered. "I would bet all of Stark's money that he was part of this too. I need to call Phil. I need to make sure they're all right."

"That's not a good idea right now, Mady," Maria said. "We can't get into contact with anyone. It's too dangerous. I got word that the Fridge was taken over, who knows what's safe for anyone anymore."

"This day just keeps getting better and better."


	25. Chapter 25

**Like many of you commented, trouble is brewing. A lot of you want Mady to get around to telling Steve. Not going to happen for a while. Will that make things worse when she finally spills the beans?**

 **Side note: REO Speedwagon is the best.**

 **Xenocanaan – That's one for Steve blowing up when he finds out. I need to keep a running total and see how many people guess correctly.**

 **Peoplers – No, Steve doesn't know about Mady and her abilities or anything S.H.I.E.L.D related.**

 **Hannah . kaho – It wasn't in my mind while I was typing it, but there may have been some unconscious thought going in. Honest Trailers and HISHE are the best by the way.**

 **Guest – Let's see how the mounting secrets build up shall we?**

 **MisfitCarter – Fun fluffy time is over…for now at least. At the start, I actually had Mady coming in to save Fury, but I decided against it. I think that played out to my advantage.**

 **Semper Paratus - *insert evil laugh* Thank you so much!**

 **BrazilWolf – Seems that way doesn't it?**

* * *

 **Chapter 25**

Mady couldn't remember the last time she had been so tired after work. Rounds had been a pain, and the minute she stepped into her apartment, Mady let out a loud groan. Her day was finally over! Now she could go to bed and catch up on her sleep.

"Long day?" she squeaked, jumping in place to see someone she never imagined would be in her apartment. Nursing a glass of some kind of liquor, leaning against the island in the kitchen was Nick Fury.

"Oh, hey Nick, come on in. Make yourself at home. Could I get you a drink? You've had a rough couple of days. I bet you need one," Mady said, dropping her bag on the table. "You are rockin' that beanie. Let me tell ya."

"I'm glad you still have your sense of humor after what has just happened," he took a large gulp of whatever he was drinking. "I'm here on business."

"I only every see you when it's about business. Is it that time?" she crossed her arms over her chest, knowing that if there was ever going to be a time, it would be now. The man nodded.

Mady went to the coffee table, opening the drawer and pulled out the folder. The folder for big emergencies, and this was definitely a big emergency.

"All right, Nick," she handed it to him. "Sign it, and I will start getting everything ready. Do I have time to-"

"Yes," he interrupted, holding up one hand while taking the folder with the other. "He's going to come by tomorrow."

"You sent him on a mission already didn't you?" her heart fell to her knees. She thought she would have more time.

"I didn't," he answered, pushing the file across the table. "He and Wilson are doing this on their own."

"Damn it, Sam," she hissed, knowing that he and Steve had become best buddies over the last couple of days all thanks to Jared. "He's going after Bucky isn't he?"

"That's what it sounded like when they discussed it at the cemetery. I'm going to need you within the next three weeks. You know where. Will everything be ready by then?"

"Are you kidding? I could have everything ready to go by tomorrow morning if you wanted me to," she scoffed. "What's your next move?"

"Europe," he answered, taking his empty glass and putting it in the dishwasher. "I need to see if there are any bases left that are not compromised. We're going to need all the help we can get if we are going to build S.H.I.E.L.D back up again."

"I wish you the best, Nick," she said. "I have a feeling you'll find more than you expect."

"You too, Madalyn," he pulled on his jacket. "I'll be seeing you again in three weeks. Let Maria know we've started Upstate as well, would you?"

"I will do that, sir," she nodded, watching the man leave her apartment. "So much for not being a S.H.I.E.L.D agent."

* * *

After she got a decent night's sleep, Mady didn't know when she would get the opportunity to sleep like that again, she got to work. She sent Maria the message, officially beginning Project Upstate. The name was stupid and completely obvious to anyone with a brain, but she couldn't do anything about it now.

Once that was out of the way, Mady began straightening up. She couldn't bring out the boxes just yet, especially if Steve was going to come over to say good bye. It wasn't really goodbye. Not really. She was only packing up the big and unnecessary things. Her apartment would only be of use to her when she came to visit Kelly or her brother for a few days.

Steve, she let out another sigh. She was going to miss him so much. She was going to miss everything about D.C. to be completely honest. Well, almost everything about D.C. A loud knock from the door startled her, but only for a moment. She wasn't expecting him this early.

"You're looking better," she commented as she let him inside. "That's good."

"I feel a lot better too," Steve dropped a bag onto the floor. "I don't think I've ever seen your place so clean before. You usually have books piled all over the place. Spring cleaning?"

"Something like that," she hated lying to him. Now more than ever. Maybe if she would have told him the truth, this wouldn't be so hard. "What's with the bag? Going on a trip?"

"Mady," he grabbed ahold of her hands. "I need to find him. He's out there somewhere alone and confused. Sam and I are leaving first thing in the morning, and I thought that maybe I could spend my last night here with you. I'm not sure when I'll be back. It could be weeks, months-"

"Years?" she whispered.

"No, definitely not," he pulled her into a warm embrace. "Being away from each other for years would be a death sentence."

"No kidding. In that case, what do you want for dinner? I'll make you whatever. You might not have the luxury when you're out on that man-hunt."

"Nope, you're not doing anything," he insisted. "We're going to get take out and watch movies like we always do. I don't want this night to be different than another other."

"That way it doesn't seem like goodbye?"

"This isn't goodbye, Mady," Steve told her. "Nowhere close. Who knows, maybe Sam and I will find Bucky within a week. I'll be back here before you know it."

"Do you believe that, Steve?" she asked. "Do you think Bucky wants to be found so easily after what happened?"

"No, but I can hope."

"I guess this means those house hunting plans are going to be put on hold for a bit."

"For now," he answered. "But we will get a place to ourselves. I promise."

"I'm glad. Going back and forth is getting really annoying. I'm starting to forget which stuff is where."

* * *

The leftover containers littered the coffee table as the couple cuddled on the couch as they watched one of their favorite movies, music from Mady's iPod silently playing from the other side of the room. Steve wasn't kidding when he said that she wasn't going to do anything. He did absolutely everything.

"How is it midnight already?" she asked as the credits rolled not bothering to get out of Steve's embrace. "Last time I checked it was seven."

"A funny thing time-"

"Don't be a smartass," she turned her head to stare him down. "It was a rhetorical question. It would probably be smart to go to bed. You have important things to do in a few hours."

"But you're so comfy," he pulled her closer. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not allowed to be sad?" she asked. "I'm not going to see you for God knows how long, Steve. How can you not be upset about this?"

"You don't think I'm upset?" he countered. "You don't think I spent the last couple days going back and forth about this? About leaving you? Because I did. My heart ached thinking about it. Thinking about how I won't have you in my arms every day. How I am going to wake up in the morning and you aren't going to be there. Yeah I've thought about it, but I need to find him, Mady."

"I know you do," she whispered, her fingers tracing over his skin beneath his shirt. "I don't want to like it, but I know why you're doing it. I would do the same thing in your position. Just do me a favor and come back in one piece. I don't want to have to patch you up again."

"That is such a lie," he chuckled. "You liked stitching me all back together. Anything to get my shirt off."

"You may be right," she sighed. "Can you blame me? You're an Adonis. I am one lucky woman."

"And I am one lucky man," his hands roamed over her thighs. "Who knows where I would be without you."

"Let's not think about it."

"What's wrong?" he questioned when she bolted up into a sitting position, his arms holding her tightly around the hips. "Mady?"

"Who put this song on?" her heart pounded. "Steven?"

"I just hit shuffle," he claimed. "We love this song. Hey, hey, hey, don't cry."

"I can't help it," she cried, collapsing into his chest. "It's those stupid lyrics."

"But I am going to keep on loving you," he recited. "Cuz it's the only thing I wanna do."

"Not helping the situation, Rogers!"

"I don't care," he wiped her tears away again. "Remember when you made me listen to this song for the first time?"

"I didn't make you," she gaped. "It was background while we were making dinner."

"Yes, but you still shushed me when it came on," he rested his chin on the top of her head, sighing deeply. "And then you decided to go all karaoke on me."

"Don't remind me," she groaned.

"It was adorable," his lips brushed over her temple. "Save your tears, Mady. I want our last night to be a happy one."

"That's when you told me you loved me for the first time," she whispered. "You were so embarrassed."

"It's not my fault. You looked at me like a deer in headlights for a good ten minutes before saying it back. I thought I screwed everything up."

"You didn't," she cupped his cheeks with both hands. "I was glad you said it first. I was really close to telling you, but you beat me to it. Take me to bed, Captain."

"Yes, ma'am," his lips met hers as he carried her into the bedroom.

* * *

Steve woke up early the next morning. The sun still below the horizon. He sighed looking at the woman that meant everything to him. He knew he shouldn't leave. He should have just stayed there with her and made Sam chase Bucky on his own, but he couldn't do that.

Slowly, Steve untangled himself from her as he started to gather his things. He knew deep down that this was possibly the worst way to leave, but Steve had to begin his man hunt. The earlier the better. He was amazed that he managed to get everything packed without getting a peep out of Mady. Quickly, he wrote her a message, placing it on the nightstand beside her.

"I love you," he whispered against her skin, kissing her goodbye one last time as he headed out the door.

Mady let out a groan when she woke up, roughly two hours later. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, a perfect start to the day. Almost. She wanted to say she was surprised to find the spot beside her cold and empty, but she wasn't. She knew, deep in her gut, that Steve would leave her while she was still asleep.

"Way to be _that_ guy, Rogers," Mady sat up in her bed, clutching the sheet to her chest, spotting a single red rose lying on her bedside table. "Let's face it; you could never be _that_ guy."


	26. Chapter 26

**Short chapter today…..maybe if I get enough feedback I'll update twice in one day. How's that sound?**

 **Today and tomorrow might be the last two chapters that I post until the 31** **st** **. I will try my best to squeeze a chapter in on Thursday, but no promises. Friday through Monday I will be up at camp, no internet access, so you'll all have to live with no updates for a bit. You can do it! Start thinking of ways you think this story is going to end, and what parts of Civil War you would definitely want me to put in for the small sequel to this baby.**

 **Took some liberties with some of the MCU with this one. It's a fanfic, that's what happens.**

 **Hannah . kaho – Of course. I am a sucker for those channels. Tears are good, means I am playing with the emotions. It's Steve. He's trying, but he's not perfect.**

 **SilverShadowWolf46 – He'll be back eventually. He's got to take care of stuff first. Wouldn't that be lovely? Waking up to a flower in bed, so cute.**

 **Megan – Nope, just introduced it in the last chapter. You're good.**

 **CJ/OddBall – Those video games. Tisk tisk, how dare you. Kidding of course. It's not forever. What kind of writer would I be if I made them split up now? You're right, he could have any reaction. This is exactly when the summary takes place! You are so smart. It is also my favorite scene of the movie, and this story. Side note, it will be the longest chapter of the story as well. How do you like that? You will find out what Project Upstate is soon…..not that hard to find out if you think about it.**

 **Somebody . smileyface – Tears are good! You are very welcome, and thank you for enjoying the story.**

* * *

 **Chapter 26**

Like Fury had asked, Mady went into full Project Upstate mode the minute she woke up and got out of bed. Why building a new facility needed an official project name, she would never know.

She gave Maria the green light, and Project Upstate had officially begun. The upcoming months were going to be a killer, but it had to be done.

She knew something like this would be happening at some point, but she thought that it would have been much, much later down the road. Mady was going to miss the smiling faces of the children every time she walked through the hallways in the morning. She was going to miss chatting with her co-workers about complete nonsense. She was going to miss it all.

The walk through the hospital corridor was painful. Yes, she was still going to be there for two more weeks, but knowing that her days working with such a great team were coming to an end was painful.

Mary couldn't help but tear up as her colleague handed her the letter of resignation. Kelly wasn't far behind, giving her best friend the tightest hug she could muster. Neither of the women would have ever thought Mady would ever have hand in that paper. They always thought Mady would be with them forever.

"I still have two weeks, you don't need to start the water works just yet," Mady patted the women on their backs from the center of the group hug. "Please stop. If you start crying then I'll start crying, and we don't want to see that."

"Can you at least tell me why you're leaving?" Kelly asked, refusing to let her best friend go once they were out of the boss' office. "I'm not going to let you off with that bullshit family stuff excuse that you gave Mary."

"I can't tell you the details," was all Mady needed to say. Kelly understood. Mady never told Kelly flat out what she did, but she was smart enough to know that whatever it was, it was important and very confidential. "I'm still going to have my apartment here though. I'll visit you and the kids all the time if you want. When everything is sorted out that is. It could be a while. We've just started to get the ball rolling."

"You're like freaking James Bond," Kelly laughed. "I expect you to come and say hi four times a month when you're allowed to leave wherever it is that you'll be."

"I might be able to swing three," Mady laughed in return. "This is going to be the first time we've been in different places. It's so weird."

"It is so weird. If I held you hostage in the basement, would you have to go?"

"You're the worst."

"You love me," she laughed. "Come on, I still have two weeks-worth of stuff to do."

"We need to have a going away party," Kelly announced. "You, me, and the hottest bar in the city. One last hurrah if you will."

"I think that's a great idea."

* * *

"So how did everything go?" Maria asked her as they made their way through the construction site. "Nobody questioned anything did they?"

"Not at all," Mady replied while observing the building. A lot of progress had been made in the last two and a half weeks. "Everything is in order. I can't believe how quickly this place is shaping up. It's looking good. I can't wait until it's fully functional. It'll be much better than the other one. Not that I would know. I was never in the Triskelion that much to begin with."

"You're telling me. It wasn't that great," Maria agreed. "Fury contacted me the other day. We have a lot of agents coming from other bases. Much more than any of us could have imagined. It's good to know that not as many agents were compromised like we originally thought."

"I don't find that surprising at all," the two women made their way through what would eventually be the medical wing. The area where Mady knew she would be the most. "I am going to love working here. And the best part is that I'll be the boss."

"Wait until you see the toys," Maria grinned. "You'll be like a little kid on Christmas morning."

"I look forward to it," she said. "When Fury contacted you, he didn't tell you anything about Steve and Sam, did he?"

"You haven't been in contact with either of them?"

"Nope," she shook her head. "I'm doing a lot better than I thought I would, considering the circumstances, but I'm just curious as to see where their man hunt has taken them. Bucky could be anywhere. He could still be here, and they're wasting time."

"You do think so?"

"Would you think it's a waste of time if you saw the man they were looking for at the Smithsonian last week?"

"You what?" Maria exclaimed.

"Yup," she nodded. "Bucky was there clear as day, reading about himself in the middle of the room. What is with men and trying to fit in by wearing a baseball hat? It doesn't hide anything. "

When Mady first caught a glimpse of Steve's best friend, she had to do a double take. She thought she was hallucinating when she stopped in front of the exhibit. There was no way Bucky Barnes was standing in the middle of the crowded exhibit where anyone with a brain cell could recognize him, or stand in the middle of a very crowded room where anyone could see him and say something.

She watched him for a good twenty minutes. All he did was stand there, watching the video clips of his former self and Steve. Reading about the man he was before Hydra had taken over his mind. Mady wanted to help him. She really did, but there was no telling what the man would do to her if she approached him. Would he freak out and run away? Would he attack her? The only thing she could do was watch.

"Wow, Rogers is going to be so pissed when he finds out he went to all that trouble when all he had to do was stick around town."

"You're telling me," Mady shrugged. "But that's if I tell him. Another secret to keep from him. I'm really good at that."

"Still haven't told him about this did you," Maria gestured to the room. "Coming from a friend, you might want to get around to that. The longer you wait, the worse the reveal might be. Steve lost a lot of trust in us. I fear the longer you wait, he'll lose your trust too."

"Don't worry, Hill. I'm going to do my hardest to make sure that doesn't happen."

"Does that mean you'll tell him when you see him next?"

"Maybe," Mady commented. "I'm going to go look through the files of those agents you gave me. I need the best team possible in order to make Upstate the best it can possibly be. Ugh, Upstate. Who thought of that name?"

"Beats me. Isn't it horrible?"

"Why Fury went with it, I will never know."

"He's losing it in his old age."

"Don't tell him you said that," Mady made her way through the hall, and into the wing that was completed. "He'll freak out and throw you to the wolves."


	27. Chapter 27

**I figured two short chapters in one day should make up for my soon to be hiatus.**

 **Ten chapters left! Start thinking of scenarios for how this will end now! Does that make anyone else sad? It makes me sad. This story has been my favorite to write. I won't get sentimental now; I'll wait until the last chapter to do that.**

 **Question: Who hasn't dreamed about Steve Rogers with a beard? I know I have.**

 **Xenocanaan – Thank you!**

 **Asarcasticunicronliveshere – It's going to be fun, that's for sure.**

 **AriellaSerenity – She needs to do something. That's for sure.**

 **CJ/OddBall – I love reading your long reviews. Do not stop! There it is. (New headquarters is in Upstate New York, hence the really dumb name). There are so many great scenes in Ultron. Unfortunately I won't be doing all of them, but some I will. I'll see what I can do about the Civil War request.**

 **CrackHeadBlonde – I am so happy you like this story! Thanks for the review.**

* * *

 **Chapter 27**

A lot can happen in five months. The new headquarters was up and almost running. A few tweaks had to be made, but all-in-all the place was looking good. The former S.H.I.E.L.D agents had all made their homes on the base, quickly creating a routine.

The toys though, the toys were Mady's favorite part of the entire project. She was going to have a hell of a time playing with those. The rookies shadowing her couldn't help but agree. Most of the project was pretty amazing.

The worst part of the entire project however, was the five month, day after day training. By the time the end of the day rolled around, she was so tired of being on her feet that the minute Mady's head hit the pillow; she was out like a light, ready to repeat the same actions the next day. When Fury made an appearance after his mini European vacation or whatever one would call it, telling her to take some time away from Upstate, Mady couldn't help but oblige.

Mady finished her morning run with Jared, who beat her that time only because she was being nice of course, sweating like a pig due to the heatwave hitting the eastern side of the country. Usually they would get a bite to eat, but her brother had made plans, plans with a certain lady friend that Mady couldn't help but make fun of him for. Payback was indeed a bitch. Yes, she loved Jamie, she was great for her brother, but there was no way she was letting him off the hook that easily.

* * *

Headphones blaring, she waved at Billy while making her way up to her apartment, stopping in her tracks when she saw that her door was open. Her eyes narrowed, dropping the phone into her bag. How did someone get into her place?

She quietly snuck in. Why was the television on? What kind of intruder was this? One that failed intruder school obviously.

Eyes falling on the dark-haired man sitting on her couch, Mady reached into the side table drawer, pulling out the Glock her father had gotten her for her sixteenth birthday.

"What are you doing in my apartment?" she asked, positioning the barrel to the back of the man's head. "How did you get in here, and what do you want?"

"Not quite the welcome I was expecting, Mady. You gave me a key remember."

"Steve!" She exclaimed, lowering the gun to her side. "What the hell, Rogers? I thought some burglar got in here or something. What's with all that stuff on your face? Did you forget how to shave?"

"Good morning to you too," he took the gun out of her hands. "Since when do you have a gun?"

"Since forever," she replied. "I do have a constitutional right to have one, you know."

"I'm not taking it from you. I just don't remember seeing it around here before."

"Now why would I keep a gun lying around for anyone to see it? That would be very stupid."

"I would be wouldn't it?" Steve asked, pulling her onto his lap. "Hi."

"Hi," she smiled. "It's been a while."

"Indeed it has," she smiled in return, his fingers trailing over her cheek. "I thought one month was bad."

"You're telling me," Mady leaned into his touch. "How long are you back for?"

"A few weeks. Then I'm going back to New York. Tony called me. It seems the Avengers have been assembled. No idea why, he didn't give me a reason."

"That sounds exciting," her eyes fluttered closed, relaxing against his touch. "Do I get to keep you all to myself for said few weeks?"

"You make it sound like I'm a stray animal, but you can if you want. I wouldn't mind at all. I would actually prefer it. Very much."

"Is that a trick question?" she kissed the underside of his jaw. "Your beard tickles. And since when are you a brunette? It's strange seeing you like this. I'm not sure how I feel about this."

"I had to do something when I went undercover. Should I shave it off? I don't want to if I don't have to. I've kind of gotten used to it, but if you don't like it, I will."

"No, don't get rid of it yet," she told him, hoping off of the couch. "This might be fun."

"Where are you going?"

"I did just get back from a run if you couldn't tell by how sweaty and gross I am," Mady pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it at his head. "I need to get a shower."

"Does someone have a hot date tonight?"

"Oh yeah, a really hot date tonight. I haven't seen him in a really long time. I would hope we'd get reacquainted. It's been so long since we've been together. Five long months of no one but myself to satisfy me."

She could see the fire in erupt in his eyes, throwing her shirt to the floor as he scooped her up into his arms, mouth attacking hers tossing her back onto the bed.

"Steve, I am so gross." Mady protested.

"You're just going to get gross again after your shower. This way you'll only need to take one trip instead of two," he told her, their fingers intertwined above her head. "It's been so long, babe."

"Yeah it has," she wrapped her legs around his waist. "Do your worst."

* * *

"I'm not going to be able to move for a week," Mady announced, collapsing onto the mattress, her chest heaving. "I can't feel my legs. That beard burn isn't helping much either."

"I think you'll be okay," Steve wrapped his arms around her torso, kissing up and down her spine. "I feel like I just ran 100 miles. Maybe going away for months at a time isn't as bad as I thought."

"Worked you out did I? I didn't think that was possible. Did you? I never would have imagined that I could have worked a super solider so much. Speaking of, did you have any luck on your search? Did you and Sam find him?"

"Are we really talking about this now after mind-blowing sex? Way to kill the mood, sweetheart" he pulled back, pretending to be offended. "No, it was a wild goose chase. I don't know why I doubted you. You did tell me it was a stupid idea."

"You did what you thought you had to do, Steve. I'm not mad at you," she said. "I don't want you to ever think that, and I never said it was a stupid idea. I just didn't like it."

"I don't, but I went all over the world for nothing," he exhaled deeply. "I should have stayed here with you. How have you been?"

"I've been the same. Missing you like crazy, but that's nothing new," her fingers scratched at his jaw again. "You should keep this until you go to New York."

"You think? But I thought you didn't like it before."

"It's growing on me," she grinned. "It makes you seem even more of a badass. Put on your leather jacket, and let's take your bike out for a spin."

"Hmm, I like the way you think."

"I thought you might."

"Give me a minute. I can't feel my legs either."

"Well damn, someone take note of this," Mady hissed when her feet touched the floor. "Maybe we can have a raincheck on said road trip. I haven't felt like this in a long time."

"What, not being able to walk?"

"Not being able to walk because of sex," she corrected. "Cuddles and a movie?"

"Is that the alternative to Netflix and Chill?"

"You know what Netflix and Chill means?" she asked dumbfounded.

"I learned that the hard way thanks," Steve grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back into bed with him. "Kids today."

"You have no idea," she agreed. "The idea of staying in probably sounds wonderful to you doesn't it?"

"You have no idea," he said, his arms wrapping around her again. "You and me, right here all day, best idea you've ever had."

"Really? This is the best idea I've _ever_ had?"

"One of many. Better?"

"Better."


	28. Chapter 28

**I might be able to get one more chapter in before I go to Philly and then camp tomorrow. If that is the case, I can't wait for all the comments/reviews for the next chapter. This is going to be fun!**

 **Hannah . kaho – Same here, my friend, same here. I don't watch Netflix myself. Yeah, me, a college kid, not watching Netflix. Strange right?**

 **Semper Paratus – I'm glad you think so. It's true; all things must come to an end, and what a great end this story will be.**

* * *

 **Chapter 28**

"Jared, how have you been doing this week?" Sam asked from the podium in the front of the room.

Today's meeting was packed. Everyone was thrilled to have Sam back from his 'extended vacation'. The VA wasn't the same without him.

"I am finally done with my physical therapy," the man grinned. "I ran five miles with my sister the other day without any pain in my leg, and my girlfriend said yes to moving in with me." The woman at his side squeezed his hand tightly with the biggest smile on her face.

"That's great to hear, man. It really is. I am really proud of you," Sam said. "Jamie, you have no idea what you're in for do you?"

"Oh, she does, Sam. She knows exactly what she's in for," Mady commented from her seat.

It had been a long time since Mady at sat in on a meeting at the VA, and she was glad she had taken the time to come in and listen to the many success stories for the week.

She was ecstatic when Jared told her that Jamie was going to move in with him. The first time she met her brother's girlfriend, Mady knew that she was the one. The one that would make her brother finally settle down. Jamie Barron was perfect for her brother. The woman could handle her brother's shit, but also be as childish as he was. She was like the sister she'd always wanted.

"Don't worry, Sam. I can handle everything he throws at me," Jamie spoke. "And I have Mady to help me put him in place if need be."

"You got that right, sister," the two women high-fived one another.

"Are you sure you're ready for this, dude?" Sam asked.

"More than ready," Jared nodded. "Although, I can do without Jamie and my sister being all buddy-buddy. It's like they were separated at birth, they're so alike."

"On that note, I think it's time to conclude today's meeting. I'm proud of all of the accomplishments you've made over the last couple of weeks. I apologize for being absent for a long time, but I can assure you I'm back. I'll see you all next week and some of you tomorrow. Drive safe everybody."

"Are you coming with us to the burger place down the street?" Jamie asked, standing up from their seats.

"I'm going to have to pass on this one, Jamie. Thanks though. I have to discuss something with Sam."

"You're saying no to the café on the corner?" Jared asked, arm automatically wrapping around his girlfriend's waist. "Alert the presses! My sister doesn't want to get food."

"The next time you guys want to go out call me up," Mady told them. "This is kind of important."

"Whatever you say," he waved her off. "Don't call me later and give me shit when you're starving, wishing you got cheeseburgers and milkshakes with us. That's right, I said cheeseburgers _and_ milkshakes."

"I think I'll survive this time around. I'll see you guys later," she made her way over to her friend. "It's strange seeing you up here again. It was strange coming into the room and Jared was leading the talk. Everyone missed you."

"Oh yeah?" Sam chuckled. "I missed them too, but I had some stuff I needed to do."

"Running errands like a soldier?" she asked. "How'd that go for you exactly?"

"You know, when your brother told me you and Steve knew each other back before, you know, I didn't believe it."

"The whole dating thing must have been a crazy blow too then wasn't it?"

"A little bit, yes," he laughed. "I thought Jared was kidding. You know how he is."

"Jared may be an asshole, but he's not a liar," she said. "Which brings me to the reason for me staying back and having this conversation with you; we need to talk."

"Okay," he looked at her skeptically. "What about?"

"Not here, come with me," Mady made her way towards the back door to the black car waiting in the alley.

"Why do I feel like I am going to be taken out into the country side to be murdered by you?" Sam asked. "What's this about?"

"Get in the car, Wilson," Nat rolled down her window. "We're on a tight schedule. Mady and I have errands to run, and if we're late there could be catastrophic consequences."

"Wait, you know her? You know each other?" he looked back and forth between the two women. "What else are you hiding from me, woman? I thought I was your friend! How can you keep this from me? This is huge!"

"You're learning this before Steve, so consider yourself lucky," Nat commented from the driver's seat.

"Wait, Steve doesn't know about this?" Sam asked, whistling loudly. "I don't want to be a fly on the wall for that conversation. You've known the guy how long now?"

"That's not the point right now. Thanks, Nat," Mady slid into the front seat. "You are my friend, Sam. That's why we're doing it this way. Now get in the car. Like Nat said, we have important things to do today."

"Doing what, what way?" Sam opened the door to the back seat, his body slamming against the seat when Nat slammed on the gas. "Damn girl, where'd you learn to drive? Where are we going exactly?"

"Somewhere where we won't be overheard," Nat answered, eyes focused on the road. "And that's none of your business."

"I thought you went rogue, Natasha. You know, after all of your secrets were leaked onto the internet."

"I was, but then Mady called me, and you can't say no to her. It's like an unofficial rule in the book."

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Hewitt."

"I know I do, and I will answer all of your questions after I tell you most of my secrets."

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Sam looked between Mady and Nat that sat before him in the mom and pop diner they brought him to. "You have special powers and know or knew stuff about S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"That's the short end of the stick, but that's the main idea," Mady answered. "After everything you went through in April, you find this strange?"

"It's a lot to sink in. I've known you for a long time, and I never would have guessed."

"I try to not tell many people about it. Including you, only my family, Natasha, Fury, and a select few in the agency of know about my double life."

"I still can't believe Steve doesn't know about this."

"I know! Everyone keeps telling me to tell him, and I will. When the time is right." she averted her gaze from the man. "He has a lot of things on his plate right now. I don't want to make it worse by adding this into the mix."

"He's going to be so pissed when he finds out you've been keeping this from him," Sam told her again. "He is going to flip his lid. No, he's going to flip some cars, maybe even take down a building when you get around to it. Make sure you get someone to film it so I can see what happens."

"You're probably right, but like I said, I'll deal with it when the time comes," Mady replied. "So you're okay with this?"

"Uh, one of my best friends has superpowers. Of course I'm okay with it. Can you show me some of the things you can do?"

"I can't show you everything, but," she picked up the knife. "Nat, would you do the honors?"

"What are you doing?" Sam asked, watching the red-head cut open her palm. "Natasha!"

"Shut up and watch," Nat rolled her eyes, holding her hand out in the middle of the table. "That is still the strangest feeling ever, Mady. I thought you were going to work on that."

"I am working on it, Nat. It takes time," Mady remarked as the cut stitched itself back together. "Ta da."

"What the hell was that?" Sam's eyes widened.

"I think it's rather obvious," Nat deadpanned.

"So, that's the healing powers," Sam answered with caution. "Why couldn't you just do it on yourself instead of making Natasha practically split her hand in two and get blood all over the food? Talk about unsanitary."

"I can't heal myself," Mady told him. "I can heal anyone but me, and before you ask, I can't bring people back to life, and there's no blood. What are you talking about?"

"That's unusual," he commented. "In all of the comic books, healers could fix themselves no problem."

"That's comic books, Sam. This is real life."

"Really? I hadn't noticed," the man paused, getting his thoughts sorted out. "That's the healing thing. What else you got?"

Mady looked around the diner, making sure the five other customers weren't paying attention to them in the back corner. She didn't want to be on the five o'clock news.

"How's it going, Wilson?" she popped up on his side of the booth. "See any good movies lately?"

"Damn it, Mady," Sam grabbed his chest. "Warn a guy next time, will ya?"

"You're no fun," she popped back. "Oh, calm down. That wasn't that scary. Let's go watch The Fifth Kind. Then you'll know scary."

"You freaking teleported from that seat to this one," he pointed to the now empty spot beside him. "And then back again. You just about gave me a heart attack woman!"

"Will you keep it down?" she shushed him. "You're enjoying this aren't you, Nat?"

"Of course I am," she sipped at her coffee. "When you tell people this for the first time, it makes me happy that I got to know you and your powers at the same time."

"I feel like there's a story there," Sam spoke, his blood pressure returning to normal levels. "Care to share, or is that 'classified'?"

"She trained me."

"I trained her."

"Really?" he asked. "How long have you been in the business, Natasha?"

"I am not going to tell you that, Wilson. Nice try."

"It was worth a shot," he shrugged. "How long have you been in the business, Mady?"

"I haven't been in the 'business' as you call it," Mady answered. "I've been doing some errands for Nick every now and then for a few years now."

"And you've been hiding it the whole time?"

"No, I haven't been hiding it the whole time. I've just been selective in who I tell," she replied. "There's a big difference."

"There is no difference," Sam shook his head. "Well ladies, this has been fun and all, but some of us have important things to do. We should do this again some time though. I had fun. Did you have fun?"

"Don't be an ass, Wilson," Mady and Natasha slid out of the booth. "I am trusting you with this. I need to know you aren't going to blab this to someone you see on the street."

"Who would I tell?" he asked. "Mady, I've know you since you moved here. One giant secret isn't going to change that. We're cool. Don't worry about it."

"Thank goodness," she hugged him. "Take care of yourself, and keep my brother in line. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

"I'll try my best. It sounds like you're going on a trip."

"Something like that," Natasha answered. "It might take a long time too. Shame really. Our record is going to break, Mady."

"It's a damn shame isn't it?"


	29. Chapter 29

**Here's the last chapter before I go to camp. Hopefully this one will be able to hold you over until then. If not, reread the story and ask me any questions that you still need answered. When I get back I'll answer them in the reviews.**

 **Have a great Memorial Day weekend (if you are U.S. readers that is.)**

 **Xenocanaan – And I can't wait for you to read what I have planned!**

 **Peoplers – She does**

 **Pacjr13 – I think I can do that for you. Can you imagine what Steve is going to think when he's the last one to find out? Oh my gosh, it's going to be fun.**

 **BrazilWolf – We shall see**

 **Guest – Mady isn't helping her case at all is she?**

* * *

 **Chapter 29**

"Mom?" Mady answered the phone cautiously. She wasn't expecting a phone call from her mother, especially one in the middle of a Thursday afternoon. "The house better be on fire. What's going on?"

"It's nice to talk to you too, sweetheart," Linda laughed. "This is strange though isn't it? Calling you on a weekday. This almost never happens."

"You hit the nail on the head with that one, captain obvious," Mady excused herself from the room. "Why are you calling me? Not that I mind, but I am on babysitting duty. You better have a good reason."

"In other words, you and Kelly are catching up while the kids are running around the house like maniacs."

"Damn, you're good."

"You didn't think you got your investigative skills from your father did you?" the elderly woman asked, pouring the freshly brewed coffee into the three mugs on the counter. "You know better than that, dear."

"No, I knew I didn't get them from him," she commented, exiting out through the door into the backyard. "Now, are you going to answer the question, or are you going to drag this out for as long as possible? Kelly and I were in the middle of a very important discussion."

"I just wanted to ask how things are going. I am your mother after all; I am allowed to ask these things. We haven't talked in a very long time."

"Not when I know you should be at work," Mady sighed. "Did something happen? Did dad have an accident again? He needs Life Alert or something. This is the fourth time now."

"Nothing of the sort," Linda smiled at the two men across from her. "Oh, sorry dear, I have to go now."

"What was the point of this phone call if you're just going to hang up on me?" Mady shouted, looking at the blank screen. "What the hell woman? What a waste of time!"

"Aunt Mady! Aunt Mady! Mommy says we're going to the zoo! Will you come with us?"

"The zoo?" Mady pondered for a brief moment while the little girl jumped up and down in front of her. "I would love to go to the zoo with you guys!"

"Yay!" the girl cheered, pulling at Mady's hand. "Let's go! Let's go! I want to see the monkeys!"

* * *

"Are you sure calling our daughter for all of three minutes was worth it?" Marcus asked his wife, sipping his coffee. "Madalyn is smart, Linda. She's going to know something's going on."

"Oh, she's going to know something's going on, and it's going to drive her absolutely crazy," Linda gushed. "Would you like anything for your coffee, Steve? Cream? Sugar?"

"No, thank you, Linda, I'm fine," he answered, knee bouncing up and down with anticipation. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice."

"It's not a problem at all, dear," Linda replied, sitting down next to her husband. "Now what can we do for you? I'm sure there are much more important things for you to do instead of seeing us."

"Not until tomorrow. I thought I would stop by before I chickened out," he fiddled with his hands that rested on the counter. "I'm here for your blessing to marry your daughter. I know it's not a common thing to do anymore, but if I didn't ask, it would bug me."

Marcus and Steve could have sworn the entire house shook. Neither of them expected the woman to react quite like that. Were the windows broken? They couldn't possibly still be standing after that outcry.

"Our baby is going to get married!" Linda sobbed into her husband's chest. "Yes, Steve, you have our blessing. Of course you do."

"There's no one else I'd want to marry my little girl, Steve, and thank you for asking. A lot of men could learn a thing or two from you."

"That means a lot to me, sir. Thank you," Steve took a deep breath, the weight significantly lifting off his shoulders. "I'm not sure when I'll get around to asking her, but I wanted to know it was all right before I did."

"You're a busy man, Rogers. When it happens, it happens."

"I'm sure Madalyn will call us when you ask her."

"I'm sure she will."

* * *

"What took you so long, Rogers? You were supposed to be here last night!" Tony questioned the man the minute he walked through the elevator door. "I don't know why you had to take your stuff with you. You were already here for three months."

"I had to do something before I came back. You did say we could take a break, Tony," Steve dropped his bag onto the floor, the eyes of the other Avengers planted firmly on him. "It's not like I missed anything when I was away for three days."

"Doesn't matter," Tony said. "When I call you, I expect you to be here. You did it well enough the first time. What makes this time any different? Venice could have been sinking into the Adriatic while you were doing whatever it was you were doing. I thought we were supposed to be a team."

"We are a team, Tony," Steve replied. "But you said that we were coming together to deal with Hydra."

"Still," Tony rolled his eyes. "From now on, when I call you in, I need you here. Regardless of what errands you have to run."

"Whatever you say, Tony," Steve made his way into the kitchen area. Five and a half hours of traveling with no pit stops made everyone hungry.

"What's with you? Is that a pep in your step, old man?" Tony squinted at the super soldier. "What did you do before you got here?"

"Nothing that concerns you," he stacked a plate high with pizza. "If you need me, I'll be putting my things back in my room and eating. Can't fight the bad guys on an empty stomach."

"Don't think you're getting out of this conversation so easily, Rogers," Tony shouted. "I will find out what you were up to!"

"Wasn't planning on it, just avoiding the subject," he responded, pizza in one hand, bag in the other as he made his way back into the elevator, towards his room. "Why am I not surprised to find you here?"

"Tony does have a point," Natasha said from the couch. "You're out of character right now. You're almost….happy."

"What? I can't be happy every now and again?" he sat down across from her, digging into his food. "Spit it out. I know you're dying to ask."

"You finally asked her parents didn't you?"

"You got all that from a five minute conversation?"

"I'm a spy, Rogers. It's what I do," she smiled slightly. "I'm really happy for you."

"Yes, I asked them, and they said yes. Thank you, Natasha, that means a lot."

"Was there a doubt in your mind that they would say no?" Natasha asked. "Did you get a ring for her yet?"

"What kind of man do you take me for? Of course I got a ring. It took me forever to find the perfect one, but I got it. Do you think she'll like it?"

The ring was perfect. Natasha couldn't deny that. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that Steve had spent every last penny he had on it. It was a good thing she knew better.

"When are you going to ask her?" she asked as the man started to go back and forth between unpacking his bag and eating.

"I'm not sure," Steve announced, darting back and forth throughout the room. "I want to do it. I want to surprise her. I don't want Mady to have a clue about what I'm doing."

"How's Mady going to find out?" Natasha asked.

"Linda, Mady's mom, might spill the beans."

"That's what mother's do. Was she freaking out when you asked?"

"It was like an earthquake hit the house," he said. "You can't tell anyone."

"What kind of woman do you take me for? Who would I tell?"

She had a point. Who would she tell?

"Come on, Tony's probably having a hissy fit."

"Probably?"

"All right, is having a hissy fit."

* * *

"And she hung up? Just like that?" Kelly asked while they walked along the marked pathway at the zoo. The children running ahead of them, dashing back and forth between each exhibit. "That's strange. It's almost like she's up to something."

"Without a doubt she's up to something," Mady shoved her hands into her winter coat. "Dad's probably in on it too. I hate not knowing stuff!"

"You can always pop over and hound them on it," Kelly suggested. "I would do that if I was in your shoes."

"I know you would," Mady said. "Why's it so damn cold? Why would we come to the zoo when it's cold?"

"Because we needed to get the kids out of the house. They were driving me insane," Kelly answered. "When you have your own, you'll understand."

"That won't be for a long time, Kel. I'll just take your word for it."


	30. Chapter 30

**I'm back! Philly and camp were amazing! Could have gone the weekend without all the bug bites of course, but it's the mountains. What can you do? These last seven chapters might not come out as quickly as before, I have work starting tomorrow, and I am not sure when I'll be able to get to edit the last couple of chapters. Also, the next chapter is my favorite! It will also be the longest chapter of the story, currently standing at 4,000 plus words.**

 **Guest – Thank you! Camp was very fun. Got a lot of sun burn though. It sucks!**

 **CJ/OddBall: Damn! Give me all the long reviews why don't ya? Very good, that was a throwback to Fantastic Four. I was curious as to how many people would get that. Yes, that entire chapter you're supposed to think of Steve looking like Chris Evans because why the hell not? He's wonderful, and I can't wait to see him on Saturday. Netflix and Chill is code for Netflix playing in the background while you're having sex. It's really dumb. Do I want to get into this whole Cap is Hydra shit? Not really, but the writer of the book is already getting so much crap, so I hope he rights the wrong. I'm not sure if you watched Earth's Mightiest Heroes or not, but there was an episode where a shapeshifter took the place of Cap and was basically Hydra Cap, but then the real Cap came back and made it better. I think that's what's going to happen. Final thing because this is going on forever, people are freaking out that Chris will have to play Hydra Cap, the comic book and movies are two different universes. There won't be a Hydra Cap in the movies.**

 **Love2liveurlife – Your wish is my command.**

* * *

 **Chapter 30**

"I don't know about his," Sam spoke into his comms. "Why did we decide to do this again?"

"Because Steve asked you to, and I felt like coming along," Mady squatted from her position on the rooftop in the Grecian city. "How are things looking from your end?"

"Yeah, asked _me_ to. He never said anything about back up. Why are we here anyway?"

"I may or may not have been tailing Barnes since I saw him back at the Smithsonian last year. This is the last hit I got."

"You've been tracking him for a year, and this is the first time you've said anything? What's the matter with you?"

"Didn't help in the long run," Mady zoomed her sights in on the street corner, a single man sticking out to her like a sore thumb. "My friends in high places haven't been helping me in the slightest."

"In other words, they haven't seen him."

"That would be correct."

"That must be annoying."

"You have no idea," Mady rolled her eyes. She was going to have to have a chat with her people when she had the chance.

* * *

She needed to get out. She needed to take a break. The agents at the Compound were driving her crazy, always asking stupid questions she had answered thousands of times. These were the best S.H.I.E.L.D had to offer? Mady was going to have a word with the director of the medical division. She needed to have the best of the best, and these guys weren't it.

Mady had taken a break after she almost blew up some lab equipment. She decided to stop by Jared and his fiancé's place. That's right, Jared popped the question. So much for the bachelor life.

"I feel like I am interrupting something," she announced, walking in on Jared, Jamie, and Sam chilling out in her brother's living room, pizza boxes littered all across the coffee table. "I can come back another time."

"Mady!" Jamie shouted, engulfing her soon to be sister-in-law in an embrace. "It's been forever! How are you doing?"

"I am good. It has, hasn't it?" she returned the gesture. "But really, I can come back if you're having a good time. I just needed to get away from the crazy people."

"Those S.H.I.E.L.D agents giving you a hard time, sis?" Jared asked. "That's why I never joined."

"No, you never joined because Fury never asked you," Mady stole the last slice of pepperoni pizza. "It's good to see you too by the way. How's the wedding planning going?"

"Don't say those words in front of me," her brother groaned. "It's the worst! Why do I have to do anything at all? Let's just go to a nudist colony and get married there. We don't have to worry about dresses, suits, any of that shit!"

"He's being a moron. Jared enjoys all this stuff, don't let him fool you," Jamie told her. "It's going swimmingly. Almost everything is finished. I just need someone to get their bridesmaid dress."

"I am taking a break for a while. I can do that in the next couple of days," Mady nodded her head, completely forgetting about the dress fitting. "Sam, are you enjoying the lover's spat?"

"It wasn't a lover's spat until you got here, so this is your fault," Sam grinned. "It's nice to see ya. Does everyone know about you and your work?"

"Only the people that need to know," she replied. "And no, I still haven't told Steve if that's where you're going with this conversation."

"The more you hold off on telling him, the angrier he's going to be. He was so pissed when he learned that Hydra was within S.H.I.E.L.D. I wouldn't go much longer."

"He has a point you know," Jared spoke. "If I were in your shoes, I would have told the guy years ago."

"It's a good thing you're not in my shoes," she said. "Sam, how has the man hunt been going? Get anything useful?"

"No," Sam shook his head. "Steve asked if I could go out and check a potential lead. I'm going to head out on Thursday and check it out."

"Thursday you say," Mady thought it over. She was due for some excitement. "Would you like an extra set of eyes and ears? I might be able to expand that lead for you."

"You want to come with me?" he asked. "Are you-are you sure? Is that a good idea?"

"What? You don't think I can hold my own?"

"I didn't say that. I just-don't you have to go dress shopping or whatever?"

"We can do that tomorrow," Jamie stepped in. "She'll have plenty of time to tag along with you. If we find the right dress of course, but I'm not worried at all."

"I knew I liked you for a reason," the two women high-fived. "Think about it, Sam. You wanted to see what I could do in person."

"It could be dangerous. I've never been to Greece before, but you can't be too careful."

"Danger? Ha! I walk on the wild side. I laugh in the face of danger. Come on, Sam. It'll be fun."

"You just had to make her quote, didn't you man?" Jared asked, shaking his head. "Take her with you. I can't deal with this."

"How'd you like to take a dip in the Adriatic Sea?" Mady asked. "I bet it's freezing during this time of the year."

"Right after you take the runts to China like you promised."

"All right," Sam got to his feet. "You two are crazy. Mady, you got yourself a deal. I remember Natasha saying you have a remarkable record with in-and-outs. If we get this done in a decent amount of time, we can come back and get a bite to eat while we're at it."

"You got yourself a date, Falcon."

"Don't tell Steve she said that. He might get jealous," Jared snickered.

"Ignore him," Mady rolled her eyes. "Jamie, I will see you tomorrow for dresses, and Sam, I will see you Thursday for Operation Bucky Search."

"That's a really dumb name," Sam joked. "Sounds good. I'll see you guys later."

"Bye, Sam."

* * *

"Mady, are you with me?"

"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about things," she apologized. "Do you see the guy in the red cap at your three o'clock?"

"I do."

"He hasn't turned around yet, and a little too far away to get a good look at his face, but he has the same structure to Barnes."

"Want me to swoop in?"

"Don't get spotted, I'll pop over and get a closer look. If you can get him, get him."

"You got it."

Mady popped up beside the small fruit stand, pressing herself against the ally wall, trying to get a better picture of the guy. He was doing a really good job of not showing his face. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought it was Bucky.

"Anything?" she asked.

"No, it's like he knows when to look the other way. How about you?"

"Same here," she sighed. "I'm going in. Cover me."

She causally walked over the fruit stand, examining the plums as if she were about to buy some. Beside her, the man's eyes darted back and forth between her and the produce. Was he going to run? Was he going to fight? Mady needed to be prepared for anything.

"Do you need any help ma'am," the man asked the both of them from behind the cart in Greek. "Sir?"

"I'm fine thank you," Mady answered, glancing at the man who was definitely Bucky Barnes.

"I'm all right," he said, handing the man the money for the plums. "Thank you."

"Have a good day."

Mady watched him leave. Would she screw everything up if she followed him? What would happen if he came with her and Sam and took him to Steve? That would be a good way to ease Steve into the conversation of what she did on the side. He couldn't be mad at her if she brought him his best friend.

"What do you think, Sam? Should I follow?"

"I don't think there would be any harm in it," he replied. "Don't do anything stupid. Just follow. You hear me? This is the best we've got so far."

"I wasn't going to," she muttered. "Still have my 6?"

"Never left it."

Staying a safe distance away, Mady followed the Winter Soldier down the street, weaving in and out of people all the way to a run-down apartment complex.

"Pursuit or fall back?"

"Would you like a complete stranger to show up in your house?" Sam asked. "Look, we know where he's at. I'll let Cap know when I see him next. We know where he is, that's better than nothing."

"Fair enough," she said. "Let's go get some food. I'm starving."

"You and me both, sister. How about that place beside the hotel? That looked promising."

"I like that idea. Have you ever had Greek food before," Sam flew down, landing beside her, shaking his head no. "You are in for a treat."

"I trust you."

"Smart man," the duo headed back down the street. "Why do you think he was buying plums?"


	31. Chapter 31

**This lucky son-of-a-gun gets to meet Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell tomorrow! So exciting! 2016 is turning out to be a great year, until November that is.**

 **We have finally reached the Age of Ultron plot. About damn time! Super long chapter alert! Over 5,000 words! That should make up for the delay in chapters right? This was the first chapter I thought of/wrote for this entire story. It's also my favorite part in Age of Ultron. Enjoy!**

 **Hannah . kaho – Seems like a plausible explanation right? Thanks for the review!**

 **Semper Paratus – Yes, it was a Lion King reference. Very good!**

 **AriellaSerentiy – He's going to be something that's for sure. Thank you!**

 **Guest – We'll just have to wait and see.**

 **Scarlet Scream (Guest) – We're getting there. Don't worry.**

 **Asarcasticunicornliveshere – I had so much fun at camp! One of the best weekends of the year without a doubt. Soon, yes. Thank you so much!**

 **CJ/OddBall – You know she should tell him. I know she should tell him. Everyone knows. I'm with you people. I just wrote it this way. By this point, I'd say it's well over a year now. Of course I threw Bucky in there. I love Bucky! I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you haven't heard about the theories as to why Bucky was getting plums. I'll let you figure that one out.**

 **Digiestined10 – Thank you! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 31**

Mady was nervous. She hadn't seen Steve in months. A little over six months, but who was counting? She hoped he would be surprised by her appearance when she joined the party at the Avengers tower. The taxi pulled up in front of the tower. She paid the man and made her way into the building.

"Good evening, miss," the receptionist smiled warmly at her. "How can I help you?"

"Hi, I'm here for Stark's party," Mady told the woman. "I wasn't aware that we needed to check in though."

"You know how Tony Stark is," the receptionist said. "I just need to see your I.D. Just to make sure you aren't some crazy person."

"Sure, no problem," Mady fished through her bag. "Here you are." It only took a moment before she was handed back her license.

"Enjoy the party," she said. "Top floor. The elevator is over there on the left."

"Thanks," Mady grinned, stepping into the elevator. "I hope I don't get into trouble for gatecrashing."

When the elevator made it to the top floor with a ding, she was thankful that no one paid her any mind when she joined the large group in the center of the room. Tony Stark knew a ton of people. Not surprising when you think about it, but the amount of people in one room was mindboggling. Were those war veterans over in the corner? Mady shook her head with a grin. She loved Steve, but he needed more friends his 'age'.

Looking around the room, Mady tried to find someone she knew in the crowd. There had to have been someone. She had hoped to find Sam; he was the one who told her about the party after all. He would also know where Steve would be.

"Look what the cat dragged in?" Mady couldn't help but chuckle, making her way over to the bar, joining the red-head who was making a drink for herself. "How did you get in to this establishment?"

"Through the front door," Mady sighed, resting her arms against the bar top. "I'm not that late am I?"

"Eh, not really," she shrugged. "Who invited you? I didn't see you come in with anyone else."

"Keeping tabs on me, Nat?" she questioned. "Sam told me about the party. I just walked in. He's here right? I haven't spotted him yet."

"Yeah, he and Steve were over at the pool table a few minutes ago, but I'm not sure where they went. Steve is going to flip out when he sees you. How long has it been anyway? Much longer than December '12 am I right?"

"Much longer than 2012. Thanks for the reminder there, good buddy," Mady answered. "He better flip out. This dress in brand spankin' new. I didn't buy it for nothing."

"Looks good on you, so do you want your usual? I bet Stark is going to have a heart attack when he sees you and Rogers in a lip lock." She began mixing the both of them drinks. "Please, for me, start going at it in the middle of the room for everyone to see. Or better yet, have your way with him on the pool table. That would make my entire year."

"He'd freak out that much, huh?" she questioned, bringing the cocktail to her lips. Nat did always make the best. "I'm not sure about the middle of the room for everyone to see, but don't worry, Nat, there will definitely be some lip locking at some point. Just make sure Stark is watching. He still makes jokes doesn't he? Poor Steve."

"More and more every day," Nat laughed "It's annoying most of the time. Rogers wants to knock Tony's face in every time he comments about his love life. If Stark only knew the truth."

"He will after tonight I can assure you," she looked around the room, still not seeing her blond solider anywhere. "So what are you doing here tending the bar? Shouldn't you be mingling? I'm sure Stark has bartenders around here somewhere. It's their job, not yours. Mingle, have some fun!"

"He does, but they're taking a break," Nat shrugged. "They never make the drinks I want. Never strong enough and I'm not really interested in all of the bachelors out there. Friends of Tony can never be a good thing."

"In other words, they aren't dorky enough, and can't turn into a raging green monster?"

"Not this again."

"Come on, Natasha, I took the advice you gave me way back when. I think it's time that you follow your own."

"Excuse me," Both Nat and Mady looked at the man who so rudely interrupted their lovely conversation. "I don't believe I know who you are. Why are you at my party? Who invited you? And how did you get in here?"

"Ah, the man of the hour. Good evening, Mr. Stark," Mady raised her glass to take another sip. "It's nice to finally meet you in person. I've heard many things about you."

"How do you know me exactly?" Tony paused. "Who am I kidding? Everyone knows who I am. But that doesn't answer the question, gorgeous. How'd you get in here? I have very strict security."

"Strict security? Your receptionist let me right in." she snorted.

"Mady?" Mady bit her bottom lip, trying to hide her smile.

There he was.

This was going to be good.

"You know this party crasher, Capsicle?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, I do," he answered, sweeping the woman off her feet and into a giant bear hug. "What are you doing here? It's so good to see you."

"This wasn't the warm welcome I was expecting, Captain," Mady spoke once she was back on her feet, his arms firmly resting on her hips.

"Wait just a minute here," Tony interrupted. "You know a woman? Am I the only one who finds this slightly unbelievable? I mean, it's Capsicle. He doesn't know one thing about women. Am I being Punked? Where are the cameras?"

"Why would I lie, Tony?" Steve couldn't take his eyes off of her. He hadn't seen her in months, but there she was, right before him in a dress that he couldn't wait to rip off. How dare she wear something so sexy in a room full of people? "Sam wasn't kidding when he said there was a surprise for me. I'm so happy you're here! Really I am, and Tony, I've known Mady for three years now. We met when I moved to D.C."

"That explains some things," Tony rolled his eyes. "I guess you can stay for the time being, but no funny business. I just had everything in this room cleaned."

"I would get those cleaners on the phone, Tony. These two are usually all over each other," Natasha smirked. "You won't believe all of the times I've walked in on them."

"La la la! I can't hear you!" Tony shouted, sticking his fingers in his ears. "There is no way that gramps here would, uhhh I don't even want to think about it."

"Somehow I knew this was going to happen," Mady looked up at the ceiling. "Where's the bird? I haven't seen him yet."

"Sam's around here somewhere. Why? Planning on ditching me already? How dare you?" he squeezed her hips. "You're stuck with me, babe."

"Oh, yeah. I came all the way up here to hang out with Sam. So if you'll excuse me, Rogers. I'll be on my way."

"I don't think so," Steve told her. She loved it when he got all possessive. It was so sexy. "We're going to go mingle. Don't go spreading rumors, Stark."

"I also have to kick this ones ass at pool while I'm here."

"Capsicle doesn't like that kind of talk, Miss-"

"Madalyn Hewitt," she answered. "I would have to disagree with you there, Mr. Stark. You wouldn't believe the things that I've gotten to come out of his mouth."

"Ew, I didn't need to hear that either," Tony turned to Natasha. "Give me something strong so I can forget I ever heard that. What are the chances I don't see those two the rest of the evening?"

Mady couldn't help but laugh as she and Steve left Tony and Natasha alone at the bar. To her surprise, Steve led her away from the party guests, into a vacant room with a beautiful view of the illuminated city.

"Now this is a view. I'll give Stark that," she stated. "I wouldn't mind looking at this every night. D.C. is nice and all, but I don't think anything can beat this. I am a bit jealous that you get to see this every night. New York City is gorgeous."

"It is pretty spectacular, but I'd rather spend my nights looking at something else," Steve smiled, pulling his girl as close to him as possible. "I missed you so much. I thought phone calls would be enough, but I was slowly losing my mind without having you with me like before. You spoiled me."

"That's why when Sam told me about this party, I knew I had to come and see you," she sighed, resting her head against his chest. "I've forgotten how lonely it can be in my apartment without you there. I was thinking about getting a dog."

"Trying to replace of me already?" Steve chuckled. "How dare you?"

"I could never replace you, you big lug," she pressed her lips to his. "I love you."

"I love you too," he whispered against her lips before deepening the kiss. God, he missed this. He missed her. "I want to get you out of that dress so bad."

"Later," she pulled away reluctantly. "I don't want Stark to use our absence as an excuse to make fun of you anymore than he already does. We'll have time later. I want to hear all about what crazy shit you've been doing."

"Mady, it's been forever," Steve groaned against her neck. "But you're right; I don't want to give Tony any more reason to mock me. You're sticking with me all night though. I want to show you off. No one is going to believe me otherwise."

"I guess I can do that."

* * *

Tony had been watching the couple for well over an hour now. They were making him sick to his stomach. How Steve managed to get himself a girl was a mystery to him, and a beautiful girl at that.

It was a mystery how Steve managed to keep her a secret from the team. Three years was a big deal, and Steve would have let something slip at least once.

But the worst part was, dare he say it, they were cute. The way they would look into each other's eyes as they talked to one another, it was almost disgusting. No, it _was_ disgusting.

Tony needed a bucket.

"Did either of you know about this?" Tony asked Clint and Thor while they watched the couple play against Sam and Rhodes in a game of pool. "Someone must have known. No one can hide something like this without someone knowing."

"Nat knew," Clint announced, nursing his fourth drink of the night. "She mentioned a woman in Cap's life, but I didn't think she was serious. Why are you so concerned about it anyway, Stark? Shouldn't you be happy for him? I don't think I've ever seen Steve so happy."

"I would agree with Barton," Thor agreed. "Steve seems to have found a great match in Lady Hewitt."

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves now. It's not like they're going to get married or anything."

"I don't know, man. Three years is a long time," Clint said. "I can definitely see him popping the question. I bet he has a ring in his sock drawer or something. Want me to go find out?"

"You know they're talking about us right?" Mady said while taking her shot, sinking two of their solids into opposite pockets. "I don't know about you, but I thoroughly enjoy making Tony Stark a very confused man. I find joy in the fact he's very confused."

"It's not the first time he's been like this. I can tell you that," James Rhodes laughed, missing his shot. "It's probably a good thing you broke the news to him now instead of later down the road though. Could you imagine if he found out after you were married or something? That would be an event I would want to see."

"Married? Do you know something I don't, Colonel?" Mady asked. "Not that I would mind, but there would be many heartbroken women out there in the world if Captain America would no longer be on the market. Are you two even trying to beat us? This is just embarrassing. We are crushing you!"

"I still think you're cheating," Rhodes insisted. "No one can be this good at pool. If I didn't know any better, I would think you had some kind of telekinetic powers or something which by the way is considered cheating last I checked."

"You're funny, Rhodes," Mady took the stick from Steve, sinking the eight ball in the corner pocket, briefly making eye contact with Sam. "Trust me, I'm not cheating. Just picked up a thing or two from my brothers, and I believe that is game, boys. Pay up."

"I'm going to get another beer, do you want anything?" Steve asked.

"I'll have what you're having. Thanks," she answered. "Don't be too long now."

"Wouldn't plan on it."

"That was a close one," Sam whispered as they joined a few other chatting guests in the center of the room.

"You're telling me," she agreed. "No one in this room besides you, Maria and Nat know."

"What do I know that no one else does?"

"Speak of the devil," she smirked. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Don't give me that shit, Widow. I know that look."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Rose," she smirked in return. "But I do think it would be wise to tell Rogers. Now might be a good time. It might be a big blow, but you've waited way too long. We all know what can happen when you keep big secrets from him."

"I will. I promise. There are much bigger things on his plate right now. Like finding Bucky, tracking down rogue Hydra agents, and so on and so forth. I don't need to add on to that list. However, the new base is pretty awesome. You guys are going to love it. The best part has to be-"

"What's the best part?" Steve came back, handing her a beer. "I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

"Course not. Just catching up, but since you're here, I need to tell you something."

"Oh Capsicle, did you forget to use protection?" Tony hollered over to them with a smirk on his face. "How very uncharacteristic of you."

"You're hilarious, Mr. Stark," Mady retorted, squeezing Steve's hand when she felt him stiffen. "That's not what I was going to say."

"Come with me," Steve pulled her up off of the couch, up a flight of stairs, away from listening ears. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, just because I want to tell you something important, you assume that that said something is something wrong?" she couldn't help but laugh at the expression on his face. "Steve, this is good news. That is, if what you asked me before you left is still on the table. I understand if it's not."

"But, Mady, your job in D.C. the commute alone would be-"

"My transfer was accepted," she couldn't help but interrupt him. "I start next week."

"Really?" he asked. "This isn't a joke right? I mean, you aren't one to-"

"I know, I know, but I'm not kidding this time. I'm coming to New York, and I was hoping that your offer is still available. The prices of some of these places are unreal, and I thought my place was expensive."

"Of course I'm still serious!" Steve exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her, spinning them both around in a circle. "This is wonderful! I don't think anything could make me happier."

"Thank goodness," she let out a sigh of relief. "I was scared that I'd have to be in a brand new city, all by myself."

"There's no way I would let you be alone in the city. I love Brooklyn, but it is not the best place to be by yourself especially when you've never been."

"As bad as D.C.?" Mady questioned, eyebrow raised. "I find that hard to believe."

"Well, you're going to find out then aren't you?"

* * *

An hour or so later, the party began to dwindle down. Sam offered to take Mady back to her hotel, but to the surprise of no one, Steve insisted that she stayed with him and he would take her back later.

That left the Avengers, Maria, Rhodes, Helen, and Mady all relaxing in the center of the room, bantering back and forth with one another. And then there was Barton whining about the Mjolnir and how unfair it was.

"C'mon man, it's a trick!" he exclaimed twirling a set of drum sticks around in his fingers.

"No, no, it's much more than that," Thor laughed.

"Ah, yes. Whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power! Whatever man! It's all a trick."

"By all means, be my guest," Thor gestured to the hammer in the middle of the table.

"Really?" Clint asked, bewildered.

"Oh this is going to be good," Tony chuckled. "Clint, you've have a tough week, we won't hold it against you if you can't get it up."

"So funny, Stark," Clint wrapped his arm around the handle and pulled, the hammer not moving an inch. "I still don't know how you do it."

"Smell the silent judgment?"

"Please, Stark, by all means. You go next," Clint held his hand out to him. "If anyone has a chance at lifting this thing, it's you." Mady snorted as she took a drink.

"You don't think I can get it up, little miss?" Stark challenged her.

"You?" Mady asked. "I feel like in order to get it up; you'd need some extra help. There's no way Tony Stark would ever succeed in having the power to rule Asgard."

"You really know how to pick 'em, Cap," Stark rose from the couch. "However, I'm never one to shrink from an honest challenge. After all, it's all physics. I hope Asgard is ready for its new ruler."

"No way," Mady whispered into Steve's shoulder. "If he gets this, then I'm the queen of England."

"He won't. Like he said, he's not one to walk away from a challenge, no matter how absurd the challenge is," Steve replied. "You never said how long you're staying at the hotel? Were you going to stay there until you found a place?"

"That was the plan," she laughed while Tony and Rhodes tag-teamed in trying to life the hammer. "You know I've never seen the city in its entirety. I would love a tour guide to show me the sights."

"I'm sure that could be arranged." He grinned. "And if you wanted you could stay with me. I don't care if Tony says no."

"Are you even pulling?" Rhodes shouted.

"Are you on my team?"

"Just represent. Pull!"

"I told you, Stark. It wasn't meant to be," Mady stated. "That's sweet of you. But I don't want to impose."

"Let's see you put your money where your mouth is," Tony challenged. "Being a doctor and all, you must have some spare change lying around. And for the record, I would kind of mind having a stranger staying in my tower. You may know her, Cap, but I'm still on the fence. Don't look at me like that."

"You know some people actually save their money," she retorted, curling her legs beneath her. "It's a talent I would assume you do not possess. I think this one would fare much better than me, and thank you for having faith. Trust me, if I was after something I would have done so already."

"Me?" Steve asked.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Show Stark how it's done."

"Yeah, come on, Cap. No pressure," Bruce spoke.

"Why not," she couldn't help but stare as the Mjolnir wiggled the slightest amount, and from the expression on Thor's face, he couldn't either. "Nope, nothing."

"That was amazing! Did you see the look on Thor's face?"

"I hope I didn't hurt his ego too badly," he chuckled, wrapping an arm around her. "Widow?"

"Oh, no, no. That's not a question I need answered," she said.

"All deference to the man who won't be king, but it's rigged," Tony said.

"You bet your ass."

"Steve, he said a bad language word." Mady giggled into his shoulder.

"Did you tell everyone about that?" Steve asked Maria.

"The handle's imprinted, right? Like a security code. Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints is I think the literal translation."

"Yes, well that's a very interesting theory," Thor chuckled, getting to his feet. "But I have a simpler one. You are all not worthy."

"No," a deep voice cracked from the opposite end of the room. "How could you be worthy? You're all killers."

"Stark?" Steve questioned, making sure Mady was behind him.

"Jarvis?" Tony asked.

"I'm sorry. I was asleep," the robot said. "Or I was a dream?"

"Reboot. Legionnaire 06's got a buggy suit."

"There was this-terrible noise, and I was tangled in-in strings. I had to kill the other guy."

"You killed someone?" Steve asked, squeezing Mady's hand tightly.

"Wouldn't have been my first call, but down in the real world, we're faced with ugly choices."

"Who sent you?"

"I see a suit of armor around the world," Tony's voice echoed throughout the room.

"Ultron!" Bruce gasped.

"In the flesh, or no, not yet. Not this chrysalis, but I'm ready. I'm on a mission."

"What mission?"

"Peace in our time."

The robots attacked, causing Steve to push Mady out of the way, kicking the table in front of them for extra protection. Robots, now that was a new one, almost like a science fiction movie.

Steve wrapped his arms around her as the couple slid across the floor, glass raining down upon them.

"I need you to get Dr. Cho out of here and go somewhere safe," he instructed, ducking when Thor's hammer shattered one of the bots to pieces. "I'll get you when we sort this out." He jumped onto the robot's back, leaving the two women alone.

"Helen, I'm going to take you to one of the empty labs, all right," Mady looked around the chaotic room, no one paying them any attention. "Don't tell anyone about what I am going to do."

"Anyone about wh-" the women appeared a few floors below in an instant. "How did you do that? Are you one of them?"

"Only a certain number of people know," she answered, breathing heavily. "Are you injured or anything?"

"Just a few scratches," Helen replied, surveying her arms. "I'm fine. I take it Steve doesn't know."

"Not yet anyway," she answered. "I would usually heal those for you, but I need to get back up there."

"I thought Steve said-"

"I know what Steve said, but they need my help, whether they want it or not. When everything is done exploding upstairs, I'll come back and get you. Remember, no one knows."

"You go it."

* * *

Mady caught a glimpse of Nat when she popped back into the room, shooting at the robots with her pistols. How was a gun going to defeat a robot? But she didn't have any other options. There was no need to call attention to herself at this point in time. Luckily for her, there were guns stashed everywhere. It was almost like Stark was prepared for anything.

"Mady, what are you doing here?" Nat asked, her eyes locked on the invaders. "Steve told you to get out!"

"You don't trust me, Nat?" Mady joked. "You know, bullets and robots don't really work right?"

"I don't think we have a choice in the matter," they ducked behind the wall to reload. "Steve is going to be so pissed at you when he sees you."

"I'll deal with him later," she spotted his shield lying on the group. "Well that's no good, and by later, I mean now. Steve!"

"Mady?" he spun around just in time to see his shield coming his way, snapping the head off of the one bot. "I told you to get out of here! What are you doing?"

"Saving your ass," she exclaimed. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

"Do you realize how dangerous it is up here?" he grabbed a hold of her arms, looking her over to make sure she wasn't harmed. "I told you to stay safe."

"And let you have all the fun? No way," she said. "Although, I think you guys did all of the fun stuff. Damn. Where's Ultron?"

"Thor got him," Bruce answered as everyone gathered in the middle of the room. "The body at least. Are you all right? Those gashes look pretty bad."

Both Steve and Mady looked down at her arms, blood dripping onto the floor.

"Huh, would you look at that? When did that happen I wonder?" Mady thought aloud. She couldn't remember getting hit by anything. "Don't worry about it, I'm fine."

"You call that fine?" Steve gapped at her injuries. She had been fine three minutes ago. What the hell happened?

"Steve, I'm fine," she assured him. "Stark, what the hell was all that?"

"Science experiment gone wrong."

"Try again," Mady looked at everyone as everyone's attention went the billionaire. "Maybe we could discuss this somewhere else."

"Excuse me, who decided that you were the one that makes the decisions? This is my tower."

"I do believe the building says Avengers on the outside. I told Helen that we would go to her when this was finished. I don't think we should keep her waiting."

The group quickly made their way down to one of Tony's many labs to find Helen Cho anxiously awaiting their return. She and Mady briefly made eye-contact before Mady sat Maria down and began pulling out the glass shards from the bottom of her feet, Maria wrapping gaze over her sliced arms.

"All our work is gone," Bruce commented, scanning through the system. "Ultron cleared out, used the internet as an escape hatch."

"Ultron," Steve shook his head, staring the man who was in charge of this disaster.

"He's been in everything. Files, surveillance. Probably know more about us than we know about each other."

"He's in your files, he's in the internet. What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?" Rhodey asked, clutching onto his shoulder. Mady would have to take a look at that too.

Damn it, Tony! She didn't want to have to work today!

"Nuclear codes," Maria commented, hissing when Mady pulled out a large shard with a set of tweezers. "This sucks."

"That's what you get for not wearing shoes during a fight," Mady continued.

"Nukes?" Natasha asked. "He said he wanted us dead." Nat said.

"He didn't say dead. He said extinct," Steve added.

"He also said he killed somebody," both Mady and Clint chorused.

"There wasn't anyone else in the building."

"Yes, there was," Tony flicked a hologram in front of them.

"Jarvis was the first line of defense. He would've shut Ultron down. It makes sense." Steve sighed.

"No, Ultron could've assimilated Jarvis. This isn't strategy, this is rage."

Loud footsteps entered the room. Thor, who had changed out of his party attire, stormed towards Tony, grabbed him by the throat, holding him up in the air.

"It's going around." Mady couldn't help but chuckle at Clint's words. He was a funny guy. She would have to hang out with him more often.

"Come on. Use your words, buddy," Tony mumbled.

"I have more than enough words to describe you, Stark."

"Thor!" Steve exclaimed. "The Legionnaire?"

"Trail went cold about 100 miles out, but it's headed north, and it has the scepter. Now we have to retrieve it," Tony narrowed his eyes at the man before him. "Again."

"The genie's out of that bottle. Clear and present is Ultron."

"I don't understand," Helen spoke. "You built this program. Why is it trying to kill us?"

"You think this is funny, Mr. Stark?" Mady couldn't help but say as the man broke out into a fit of giggles. "Unbelievable."

"No. It's probably not, right? Is this very terrible? Is it so…..is it so terrible?"

"Kinda."

"This could have been avoided if you hadn't played with something you don't understand."

"No, I'm sorry. It's funny. It's a hoot that you don't get why we need this."

"Tony, I don't think this is the best time," Bruce told him.

"Really? That's it? You just roll over; show your belly every time something snarls?"

"Only when I've created a murder-bot."

"We didn't! We weren't even close!"

"No, I'm pretty sure you created a murder-bot," Mady said. "Have you seen the destruction in that room we were just in?"

"I don't think you have the right to be talking. This doesn't affect you in any way."

"Tony!" Steve shouted.

"Excuse me?" Mady asked. "Doesn't affect me in any way? You really are dumber than I thought. This affects everyone you moron!"

"Did she just call me a moron?"

"You're damn right I did," she clenched her fists.

"Don't," Maria held onto her arm while whispering in her ear. "Not now."

"Anybody remember when I carried a nuke through a wormhole?"

"No, it's never come up."

"Saved New York?

"Never heard that."

"Recall that? A hostile alien army came charging through a hole in space. We're standing 300 feet below it. We're the Avengers, well some of us anyway. We can bust some arms dealers all the live long day, but that up there? That's the end game. How were you guys planning on beating that?"

"Together." Steve answered.

"We'll lose."

"Then we'll do that together too."

"Do you always have to do that?" Tony questioned. "Be righteous all the time? Doesn't that get annoying? That has to get on other people's nerves right?"

"I think it's just you," Mady wrapped Maria's cut feet. "Will you be all right?"

"I'll be fine," she said. "James can take me back to my place. Can't you?"

"You got it, girl."

"I can think of another person who can be leaving too."

Tony wasn't even trying to hide his dislike for her anymore.

"She's staying with me, Tony," Steve glared. "I think it's best for everyone to get some rest. It will do all of us some good because someone fucked up."

"Steve just said fuck. I think hell froze over," Tony's jaw fell to the floor. "I want to be proud, but you said I fucked up, so I can't."

"I'm done with this," Steve turned to the woman now in his arms. "What do you say we go to bed?"

"That sounds wonderful," Mady grinned. "Good night everyone, except you Mr. Stark. I hope Ultron is waiting for you in your room when you get there."

"Ouch," Clint said as they left the room. "I like her."


	32. Chapter 32

**Wizard World was awesome! Did anyone else go? I'm going to take it that 5,000 plus words is a bit too much. Am I right? Five more chapters to go! The next chapter should be posted on Thursday.**

 **Xenocanaan – Thank you! She's getting there. About time right? Took long enough, but it's the best part. I needed to build up to it.**

 **Hannah . kaho – Very good. I didn't even think about that.**

 **Digidestined10 – whoop whoop!**

* * *

 **Chapter 32**

The adrenaline had worn off by the time she and Steve made their way back to his room. She was tired, and she was slightly in pain. Her arms felt like they were on fire. At least the wounds had scabbed over. That was a start.

"Well isn't this is homey," Mady commented as she followed him inside. "A lot bigger than your apartment back in D.C. isn't it?"

"It sure is, but bigger is not always better," Steve flicked on the lights. "There's so much space in here, and I have no idea what to do with it. My apartment in D.C. was perfect. Not too big, not too small. It was just right."

"Ok, Goldilocks, you just need to get more stuff. Stuff that screams 'Steve Rogers lives here'. That will solve the problem."

"Wouldn't that be a waste if we're going to have our own place? Might as well just wait until then."

"Smart man, however, when we find our place, it needs to have a view like this," she spread her arms out wide in front of the window. "This is absolutely necessary. I know I told you many times that my view at home was the best, but this trumps it by a billion."

"I'm not sure we can find a place with a view like this," Steve said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Stark might have the only one."

"We'll find one," she leaned back into his chest. "I have faith in the both of us. There has to be something somewhere. But it won't be a house then will it. We'd have to get an apartment on the top floor if anything."

"Whatever we find, it'll be amazing," he agreed. "You look absolutely exhausted. Do you want to shower or anything before we go to bed?"

"I should, but I don't think I'll last that long. I haven't had to fight killer robots in a while. It takes a lot out of a person."

"I hope you're joking."

"What do you think?" she turned her head. "You know, you still owe me a dance."

"Now? I thought you were tired?"

"I always have enough energy to dance with you, Steve," she said. "I bet Stark has these rooms sound-proofed anyway. No one will hear the music, but it you don't want to I understand. Wait, would that even apply now since Ultron fucked up everything? This could get awkward."

"Who said I didn't want to? I was just surprised that you would want to after what happened, and the closest person is four floors above us. I think we'll be okay."

* * *

Mady made her way to the record player, selecting a smooth and calm jazz number, filling the silent apartment instantly. If only there were candles, then they could have dimmed the lights, making it a romantic evening instead of feeling uncertain of what they would wake up to in the morning.

"It's like the last night we spent together when I was in D.C." Steve commented, wrapping his arms around her waist as the couple swayed to the music. "Almost."

"We had such a good night that night," she gazed up into his baby blues, arms around his neck. "No crazy robots or arrogant billionaires in sight. We need to go back."

"I'll get the DeLorean from the garage," she grinned. "We still haven't gotten around to watching the third one, you know."

"You're not missing much," she replied, nuzzled into his chest. "It's the same as the first two, but with a western setting. You watched the good ones."

"But we have to finish it! That's like an unwritten rule of some kind. I'm sure of it! When we take care of Ultron, that's the first thing we are going to do."

"The first thing? You sure about that?" she questioned. "And we? Am I an honorary Avenger now?"

"Like hell you are!" his voice rose, startling her for a brief moment. "You're going to stay here, in New York, nowhere close to where Ultron turns out to be."

"That was a joke you know," she cupped his cheeks. "I think the six of you guys can handle it without me. I'll be anxiously awaiting your return."

"That wasn't funny," he sighed, his forehead resting against hers. "I almost lost it back there when I saw you fighting those robots, and those cuts on your arms. How did you even get those? I don't think my heart could take it if you were actually in battle with us."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that," she lied, knowing that Nick would want her in on this in some way, shape, or form soon. "You'll probably be flying off to some other continent in the morning, and I'll be here, getting the lay of the land. I will be here when you get back, Steve. You don't have to worry about me. I am the one who has to worry about you. You just worry about getting back to me in one piece."

"Thanks for having so much faith in me."

"It's what I do," she grinned.

* * *

The couple danced together in silence, save for the music in the background. Steve wasn't sure what was to come, so he had to make sure the time he had with Mady was perfect.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Mady whispered.

"Because I love you," he took her hands in his, pressing his lips to her knuckles. "And the sight of you takes my breath away."

"Stop it," she blushed.

"It's true," he said. "Especially when you blush. You're getting tired aren't you?"

"Probably. The adrenaline high has completely worn off, and my arms are really itchy. Much better than when I first walked in. A very good sign, it means their healing," she yawned loudly. "And we have been dancing for a while too."

"Come on, we've had a long day."

"Maybe for you. I've only had a long evening," she pouted, squeezing his hand, shutting off the music, and following him down the hallway and into his bedroom. "And I thought your living room was bare. You have nothing in here."

"I'm not here all that much to begin with. I have all the necessities don't I?" he asked, handing her some of his clothes to change into. "Are you going to be able to change without falling over?"

"Yes," Mady snatched the oversized shirt and sweatpants, sticking her tongue out at him. "Thank you very much. I'm not that tired."

"I beg to differ," Steve chuckled.

"Unzip me please," she turned her back to him. "This zipper is a piece of shit."

"There you go," he kissed her in between her shoulder blades before she entered the bathroom.

"Thank you," she shut the door behind her.

* * *

Once Steve was certain Mady was busy in the bathroom, he made his way over to the nightstand beside his bed. Pulling out the drawer, he took the little, black box in his hands.

He knew now wouldn't be the best time to ask her. Not after Tony's little stunt, but they were alone now. Steve wasn't sure when he would see her again. They could be hunting Ultron down for a very long time, so maybe the best thing would be to ask.

But what if she said no?

There was always that tiny voice in the back of Steve's head that thought she might say that. He knew it was stupid. He knew she loved him, and wanted this just like he did. They didn't go through that fight for no reason. But things changed. Maybe marriage wasn't on her mind anymore.

"You're being an idiot, Rogers," he twirled the ring between his fingers. "You know she's going to say yes."

The bathroom door clicked open, causing Steve to quickly shove the jewelry back into the bedside table.

"Why do you look like you've done something bad?" Mady stretched her arms up to the ceiling.

"Me? Do something bad? Never," Steve chuckled, unbuttoning his shirt.

"Right, because you've never done anything bad in your life," Mady laughed, collapsing onto the bed. "Damn, this is comfortable. Take this with us when we get a place."

"I plan on it," he joined her, wrapping her into his arms. "I missed this."

"I missed this too," her eyes fluttered closed. "But really, what were you doing?"

"I'm not going to tell you. You're just going to have to wait and find out."

"Ugh," she groaned into his shoulder. "You're the worst!"


	33. Chapter 33

**Four chapters left! My goal for this story is to break 200 reviews and 100,000 views. Think you guys can do that for me? It's definitely possible. I think so anyway.**

 **The next chapter is the one most people have been waiting for. Any final guess as to how it's going to go down?**

 **Xenocanaan – Thank you!**

 **Hannah . Kaho – I have never watched X-Men so you can think that if you want to. I wrote it as a joke, but if it fits let's go with that.**

 **Semper Paratus – Don't worry. Everything will work out for the best.**

 **CJ/OddBall – That would have been something to see wouldn't it? You are correct. It will happen sometime during the Ultron storyline/after the Ultron storyline. I won't kill you people in waiting another story for him to learn about Mady's powers. I'm not a fan of Tony, so I made him a jerk. I don't see a problem with that. Makes the plot better for the Civil War plot yes?**

 **Megan – You will find out by story's end.**

 **Guest – Thank you so much! I'm so happy you are enjoying Mady's and Steve's relationship.**

* * *

 **Chapter 33**

Steve knew something wasn't right. That witch had gotten into his head with those strange powers of hers. As he walked down the stairs of the Stork Club, he couldn't help but realize just how wrong everything surrounding him was.

Dozens upon dozens of people were laughing and having the time of their lives as bombs exploded from somewhere Steve could not explain. Blood flowed from the bullet wounds in some of the men's chests.

This wasn't right.

He needed to get out of the mental trap she had put him in.

"Are you ready for our dance?" Steve spun around to find Peggy standing before him in the middle of the dance floor, taking his hand in hers.

"Peg?" he questioned, spinning the image of his long lost love around similarly to the other couples on the dance floor.

"The war is over, Steve. We can go home. Imagine it."

Peggy smiled brightly at him. The same smile that used to make his insides turn into rubber and palms sweat uncontrollably. It wasn't having the same affect like it used to. Peggy was his past. It took him a long time, but he moved on.

In the blink of an eye, the hall became empty, leaving him alone with a single door to his right. Another one of Maximoffs' tricks no doubt, but his curiosity got the best of him as his legs led him through the door.

He wasn't in 1945 any longer. The first step through the door, and he was invaded by the smell of salt water. He made his way through the double doors to the balcony where she was waiting for him.

"You're late," she kept her back to him, leaning against the railing, the sea breeze blowing the bottom of her white dress around her bare feet. "I thought you were going to miss the fireworks. It's not every day someone turns 100 years old."

"I would never miss the fireworks," he wrapped his arms around her bloated stomach. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, your son is being a nuisance like usual, treating my bladder like a punching bag, and your daughter really wants some jelly beans," she ran her hands over his arms. "A lot of jelly beans. Like twelve bags of jelly beans."

"When the fireworks are over I'll go get you your twelve bags," Steve closed his eyes, his chin on her shoulder. This was what he wanted. This was his forever.

"You're a saint."

"No, just your husband."

"Same thing," she giggled, eyes lighting up as the first batch of fireworks shot up into the sky. "How patriotic."

"It is the fourth of July," he spun her around, arms still around her stomach "I love you."

"I love you too, Steve," she beamed, spinning around in his embrace, rising up onto her toes for a kiss.

Three loud bangs echoed through the air. The couple's eyes growing wide as they looked at one another, a dark, sticky substance coating Steve's fingers instantly. Both of their gazes fell down to her stomach, red mixed with white.

"Mady," his eyes found hers as she slummed into his arms. "Mady!"

"S-Steve," she crocked, cupping his cheeks, looking at something behind him. "Behind you." He craned his neck to see the barrel of a gun pointed at the both of them, right behind, the face of his best friend, his brother, Bucky Barnes.

"Bucky?" his head fell to the woman in his arms then just like with Peggy, everything around him disappeared.

* * *

"Cap? Cap, are you with me? Come on, man," Clint's voice echoed from above him. "Up you go."

"W-what happened?" he slumped against his fellow Avenger's body. "My head is killing me."

"That witch put a spell on you or something. You along with everyone else," Clint explained, helping Steve out of the building and into the Quinjet.

"Where's Ultron?" Steve asked. "How long was I out? What happened?"

"Ultron left and a while," he answered. "Stark, get back to the jet. We're getting out of here."

Steve had no idea where Clint was taking them, but he didn't care. He could still see the blood that coated his fingers in his dream. A dream it might have been, but to him it felt all too real. Mady had died in his arms, and Bucky was the reason behind it. How could he forget that?

"Where are we?" Tony asked when the jet landed in the middle of a field.

"A safe house," Clint answered, helping Natasha out of the jet. "Hopefully."

Steve was confused. Why would Clint bring them to the middle of the country? To a farmhouse?

"Honey, I'm home," Clint shouted once they entered the house.

To Steve and the rest of the team's surprise, a woman made her way into the room they were standing in, a woman who looked to be quite pregnant by the look of things. What was going on? Where had Clint taken them?

"This is an agent of some kind," Tony commented.

"Gentlemen, this is my wife, Laura," he introduced them.

"I know all of your names," Laura said.

"Oh, incoming," he continued as the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway. "Hi, sweetheart. Hey, buddy. I missed you guys so much!"

"And these are smaller agents."

"Daddy, did you bring Aunty Nat?" the little girl asked.

"Why don't you hug her and find out?" Natasha scooped the small girl into her arms.

"Sorry for barging in on you," Steve said.

"Yeah, we would have called ahead, but we were too busy not knowing you existed."

"Yeah, Fury helped me set this up back when I joined," Clint explained, arms wrapped around his son and wife. "He kept it off S.H.I.E.L.D's files, and I'd like to keep it that way. I figured it would be a good place to lay low."

* * *

Steve couldn't believe it. Clint had a family. A hidden family that no one knew about as he worked as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Those were the thoughts running through his mind as he chopped firewood in the front yard.

That was what he wanted. He never thought he would be jealous of Clint but there he was, looking between the farmhouse and woodpile, trying his best to keep his emotions at bay.

"I didn't realize laying low was code for split the team up," Tony walked up to him, an ax in hand. Tony knew how to chop wood? "Thor didn't say where he was going?"

"Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things. I was kind of hoping Thor would be the exception."

"Yeah, give him time. We don't know what the Maximoff kid showed him."

"I don't know what she showed you. I just know it made you do something stupid. Earth's Mightiest Heroes and she pulled us apart like cotton candy," Steve swung the ax down, splintering the wood in half with ease.

"Seems like you walked away all right."

If he only knew.

"Is that a problem?" Steve asked.

""I don't trust a guy without a dark side. Call me old-fashioned."

"Well let's just say you haven't seen it yet."

"Banner and I were doing research!"

"That would affect the team!"

"That would end the team! Isn't that the mission? Isn't that why we fight, so we can end the fight? So we can go home?" Steve's blood was boiling now. First the party, now this. When was he going to get it?

"Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die," he breathed after ripped apart a log with his bare hands. "Every time."

The only reply Steve received was an eye roll.

"What is with you?" he asked. "Ever since your stupid party, you've been more pissy than usual."

"Wow, that girl you kept in your back pocket was right. You can swear like a sailor," Tony scoffed.

"Really?" Steve crossed his arms over his chest. "Is that what this whole thing is about? You don't need to know everything that goes on in my life, Tony. My private life doesn't concern you at all."

"Sorry to interrupt," Laura came up behind the two men. "Mr. Stark, our tractor isn't working, and Clint said you might be able to-"

"Yeah, no problem," he looked down at his feet before meeting her gaze. "Don't touch my pile, Rogers."

"I don't know why I would want to," Steve picked up the ax and started again.

* * *

"What is taking that man so long?" Mady groaned while sprawled out on the floor. "He should have been here by now."

"Will you please stop your whining?" Maria's fingers danced across the computer, making sure everything was ready for when Fury got back. "I told you before he'll get here when he gets here."

"But he's taking forever!" Mady whined like a five-year-old. "I'm so bored!"

"You can always help me."

"I'm not as technologically advanced as you are," she rolled onto her stomach. "Did you know-"

"Why am I not surprised to find Hill doing all the hard work?"

"Finally!" Mady jumped to her feet. "You've been taking forever, man. Where were you? The middle of nowhere?"

"Just about," Fury peeked over Maria's shoulder. "Is everything ready to go? We're going to need the Helicarriers up in the air in three hours."

"Why so soon?"

"The Avengers are going to do something very stupid, and we need to get there to fix their mess."

"Why does that not surprise me," Mady shook her head. "I guess it's time isn't it?"

"Are you ready for this?" Both Maria and Fury started at her.

"As ready as I'll ever be."


	34. Chapter 34

**One goal down! Now how far passed 200 reviews can I get? 210? 220?**

 **Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for. I wanted to make sure this chapter was perfect before posting it, that's why it took so long to update. Now, this isn't the whole explanation that Mady gives Steve. There is a battle going on you know, but some of the questions will…..might be answered. Prepare for a dialogue heavy chapter.**

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* * *

 **Chapter 34**

Steve wasn't going to tell this to anyone, but he was tired. He had lost track of time, and how long they had been fighting. It had to have been at least three hours by now, and with how things were going, none of them were going to make it out of this alive.

There were a million things he still hadn't done.

"What have you got, Stark?" he asked over the coms, checking to make sure he and Natasha had cleared everyone out of their section of the city.

"Well, nothing great. Maybe a way to blow up the city," he replied. "That'll keep it from impacting the surface if you guys can get clear."

"I asked for a solution, not an escape plan."

"The impact radius is getting bigger every second, Cap."

"We're going to have to make a choice."

"Cap, these people are going nowhere. If Stark finds a way to blow up this rock-" Nat spoke.

"Not until everyone is safe," Steve insisted.

"Everyone up here versus everyone down there? There's no math in that."

"I'm not leaving this rock with one civilian on it."

"I didn't say we should leave," she said. "There's worse ways to go. Besides, where else am I going to find a view like this?"

"There are just so many things I didn't get to do."

"I think all of us can say that," Nat agreed. "But I know what you mean. The ring would have looked good on her finger."

"I was going to ask as soon as we got out of this," he sighed. "I was going to finally be brave and ask her."

"You were going to ask who what, Rogers?" Both Natasha and Steve jumped up at the new voice coming over their communications. "Oh, no, you don't need to stop on my account. Please continue."

"Mady?" Steve asked very confused. What was she doing here?

"As touching as this moment is, I'd say it's time to give the Avengers a little assistance," Fury's voice came through as the Helicarrier rose higher into the sky. "Nice, right? I pulled her out of mothballs with a couple of old friends. She's dusty, but she'll do. Rose, go help the team in any way you can. I told you they'd do something stupid didn't I?"

"You were right. I don't know why I ever doubted you."

"Fury, you son of a bitch," Steve shook his head at the aircraft, unaware of the figure who appeared behind him.

"Oooh! You kiss your mother with that mouth?

"I can assure you Fury, he doesn't," Mady said.

"This is S.H.I.E.L.D?" Pietro asked, looking at the Helicarrier in amazement.

"This is what S.H.I.E.L.D is supposed to be," Steve replied as he watched the boats fly down towards the city.

"This is not so bad."

"Let's load 'em up, kids!" Mady exclaimed.

"Hold on," Steve grabbed onto her arm. "Nat, Pietro, you two go. Give us a minute."

"Now is not the best time to pop-"

"That's not what I was doing, Natasha," he told her. "We'll be right there."

"I know what you're going to say," Mady waited until the two were gone, not that it mattered really. Anyone on comms would be able to hear their discussion. "Don't waste your breath. I'll tell you everything when the boats are full and everyone is off this rock."

"Don't think you're getting off that easily," Steve narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you doing here? You aren't a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. This is way too dangerous, and why are you dressed like Natasha?"

"Steve now is not a good time for this. The longer we wait the greater the risk!"

"Humor me," he said. "I can't let you go out there without understanding at least some of _this_." He waved a hand at her presence.

"Fury calls me in for special missions," she sighed, knowing that Steve wasn't going to let this go. Not now, and probably not ever. "It's very rare that he does, but with the current circumstances he wanted me in to help you guys."

"Okay, that tells me why Fury brought you here, but why are you on the ground and not in the Helicarrier?" he asked, his grip loosening on her arms. "You can die down here, and how did you get off of the carrier in the first place?"

He wasn't going to stop anytime soon. Mady stepped back looking around for something, anything she could use. To their right, a red motorcycle floated a few feet off the ground and exploded into a thousand tiny parts.

"Um, okay," Steve scratched at his head. She sighed again flicking her fingers to make chunks of concrete bond together then sent it across the street to the next set of robots coming their way. "Telekinesis? Like Wanda? But getting off the Helicarrier, how'd you do that?"

"More or less," Mady said. "Can we go now? There are hundreds of people who need to get of this rock."

"Yeah, but we still have a lot to talk about," Steve said, taking her hand.

"I figured as much," she agreed. "Now if you don't mind, I think there's an easier way to get there. Hold on."

"So that's how that happened," Steve said when they appeared beside Nat and Pietro with a pop. "Like how you managed to leave so quickly after we had breakfast when we first met. Must come in handy if you're running late for something."

"That's what I like to think," Mady agreed. "I can heal people too since I know you're dying to ask millions of questions. It takes up a lot of my energy. When you came over and I couldn't get up off of the couch, you thought I was sick, nursing me back to health, that's what that was. I can't bring anyone back to life, and I can't heal myself."

"That might come in handy after today," he said, pecking her quickly on the lips. "I'm sorry for freaking out back there, but thanks for telling me. We're still not done. Not by a long shot. You still have a lot of explaining to do."

"Of course she's here," Tony interrupted. "If there was ever a time to get these civilians off of the rock, it's now."

"I hate to say it, but he's right," Mady nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

Mady, along with Steve, Natasha and the Maximoff twins, helped the rest of the Solokvian citizens into the boats. She had to hand it to Maria, that woman was smart. Who knows what would have happened to the people if she hadn't thought of this idea.

"You are the other woman," Wanda announced suddenly. "That's why you look so familiar."

"Other woman?" Mady's eyebrow rose. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I saw you in his dream," she tilted her head towards Steve. "You were there. You must mean a lot to him."

"Other woman, huh?" she thought. "Steven, are we going to have to have a chat when we're back on the ground?"

"What? No, Mady! I can explain-"

"Relax, Rogers, I'm only joking," Mady chuckled. "You don't have to explain anything to me. You were thinking about Peggy and me. We never forget our first love. I know I can't."

"You're taking this much better than I thought you would," he commented, checking the building for any other civilians. "We are all clear over here."

"Copy," Fury sounded over the comms. "And please leave all the heart-felt bullshit to yourselves please. The rest of us can only take so much."

"I never thought that I would agree with Nick Fury on anything," Tony chimed in. "Someone mark this on the calendar, I want to remember this moment."

"Don't you have something important to do, Stark?" Mady asked. "Like, oh I don't know, figure out how to blow this thing up?"

"Working on it."

"Of course you are."

"All right Avengers, I got it. Meet me in the church," Tony exclaimed. "Please refrain from taking any detours."

"He never stops does he?" Mady asked as she and Steve entered the crumbling building. "How do you put up with him all the time?"

"I can hear every word you say, you know. I am right here," Tony touched down to the ground right beside her, his face mask flipping up so she could see his face. "You keep surprising all of us don't you, Hewitt? You never were a doctor were you? Was that all a set up? A ploy to suck everyone in? Well guess what, little miss, you didn't fool me. I knew something was off about you the minute we met."

"Stark," Steve glared at the man. He couldn't deal with this again.

"Steve, ignore him," she placed her hand on his chest. "It's not worth it. Yes, Mr. Stark, I am a doctor. I didn't go to college forever for nothing."

"Does it eat at you, Rogers? Knowing that she lied to you for so long about this? I wonder what other secrets she's hiding."

"What's your problem with me?" Mady asked. "What have I ever done to you? And I didn't lie to him. I just didn't get around to telling him the whole truth."

"You really do know how to pick 'em, Cap," Tony replied.

"If he didn't have a plan to stop this thing, I would take him out myself," she growled.

"I'd like to see you try."

"Don't," Steve held her back. "Like you said, it's not worth the conflict."

"Avengers, time to work for a living," Stark proclaimed once most of the team was in the church. "Romanoff, you and Banner better not be playing hid the zucchini."

"Relax, shell-head, not all of us can fly," Nat replied, plowing her way passed the piled corpses of metal. "What's the drill?"

"This is the drill," Tony pointed at the device in the middle of the room. "If Ultron gets a hand on the core, we lose."

"Whatever you do, Stark, don't sugar coat it," Mady crossed her arms over her chest.

"Are you going to be able to hold your own?" Tony asked. "You don't need someone to hold your hand while we fight do we?"

"Do I look five to you?"

"Tony, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Nat butted in, noticing Mady's eyes begin to darken.

"What am I supposed to be afraid?" he asked. "A woman in a spandex outfit? Please."

"I've always wanted to know what a human body looked like inside out," Mady held up her index finger. "Anyone else want to find out?"

"Like you cou-" Tony gasped, his insides beginning to squeeze together. "What's happening? What are you doing?"

"That would be your large and small intestine working their way up through your G.I. tract in reverse. I wonder how much money I could get from the press for a Tony Stark-kabob. Who wants to split the profits with me?"

"Mady, stop!" Nat shouted. "Tony is not the problem here, no matter how much of an ass he's being."

"You're no fun," the woman groaned, smirking when the billionaire collapsed to the ground, his arms hugging himself around his stomach. "This doesn't mean you're out of the line of fire, Stark. When this is all over, the both of us are going to have a chat. I can assure you, sir, you are not going to like it."

"You're-you," Tony gripped at his abdomen tighter. "I'm going to die."

"You'll be fine in ten seconds," Mady interrupted, noticing from the corner of her eye Ultron hovering in front of them. "Who's ready to have some fun?"

"Is that the best you can do?" Thor shouted.

The Norse God spoke too soon as the robots Ultron created stood behind him.

"You had to ask," Mady and Steve chorused.

"This is the best I can do," Ultron answered. "This is exactly what I wanted. All of you, against all of me. How can you possibly stop me?"

"Well someone's been busy," Mady mumbled.

* * *

Steve was conflicted. Torn between focusing on the robots coming his way and keeping Mady within his sights. She seemed to be holding her own, using those powers of hers to keep them at bay. She was really good at it if he was being honest with himself, but each time he watched her take out ten robots at a time with a simple flick of the wrist, he couldn't help but feel disappointed, and maybe a little angry.

Why hadn't she told him? Why did she feel like keeping this secret, this huge secret from him? But there was still a tiny part of his brain that told him that not finding out until now was the best thing. A very, very tiny part.

"Steve!" he heard her scream. "Duck!"

She was good at that.

"Are you all right?" she asked, helping him to his feet, robots continuing to come after them. "You need to watch your six, good buddy."

"I'm glad you still have your sense of humor while we're fighting an army of killer robots," he said, shield ricocheting off four of them in one throw. "This doesn't get you off the hook, no matter how good we are as a team right now."

"I got that," she huffed. "But we do make a good team."

"We always have," he couldn't help but grin slightly.

All around them, the robots fell to the ground in giant heaps of metal. Tony, Vision, and Thor followed Ultron out the giant hole in the back of the church. Everyone else inside bent over at the waist, trying to catch their breath.

"Think that's all of 'em?" Clint asked.

"We can only hope," Mady said. "Nice shootin', Tex."

"You're not so bad yourself."

"We gotta move out. Even I can tell the air is getting thin," Steve commented as the city rose higher and higher into the sky. "You guys get to the boats. I'll sweep for stragglers, be right behind you."

"What about the core?" Clint asked.

"I'll protect it," Wanda announced. "It's my job."

"Nat, let's go," the two assassins jumped into one of the abandoned cars.

"Come on," Steve grabbed Mady's hand, leading her to check out the buildings one more time. "I have to say, I'm impressed. You fight well."

"That surprises you?" Mady breathed deeply. She was going to be so sore in the morning.

"It should, but in a way I kind of figured you had it in you," the couple ran through the desolate roads. "Why do you keep looking at me like you're about to cry?"

"Because I know when the adrenaline is out of your system you are going to go all out and I am going to cry," she answered. She had been waiting for him to yell at her. She deserved it. "I deserve it, Steve. The anger, the hate, I am preparing for the worst."

"You don't know that," Steve replied, letting out a sigh of relief when the boats were in his sights. They were going to make it. They were going to make it out of this alive.

"I know you, Steve. You're on your Captain America high, and when this is over you will be thinking straight and be all over the elephant in the room, or on the rock."

"Whatever happens happens and we'll deal with it when we get there. Deal?" he offered his hand to her.

"Deal," she accepted hesitantly. "Let's go. Stark is going to blow this popsicle stand. Right, Stark?"

"Are you giving me orders?" his voice sounded in her ear.

"Just answer the damn question."

"Let's just say everyone better be strapped in. Thor, are you ready?"

"Ready."

Steve grabbed onto Mady's waist jumping onto the boat once the rock started to plummet towards the ground. That couldn't have been Tony's plan.

"Are you all right?" he asked, arms wrapped around her while she tried to catch her breath.

"What the hell was that, Stark?" Mady shouted.

"Doesn't matter, the city is gone. We won, blah, blah, blah."

"That's not what I asked," her head fell into Steve's chest. "Why can't he answer simple questions?"

"Ignore Tony," Steve said. "We got everyone onto the boats and stopped Ultron. We made it."

"Yeah, we did," she agreed. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry."

"I know you are," he told her, brushing the hair out of her eyes. "When we get home. We're going to have a long talk, and then we're going to finish _Back to the Future_."

"I can live with that," she nodded. At least there wasn't any yelling. Yet. "You're not going to leave that alone are you?"

"Of course not. We have to finish what we started."


	35. Chapter 35

**Yes! Over 100,000 views! You guys are the best! I guess I have no Hamilton fans in the audience? That's all right.**

 **Who's ready for this long chapter? It's been a long time coming hasn't it? If I leave anything out, any questions that I have left open, tell me so I can fit them into one of the last chapters or fit it in with the sequel.**

 **Thank you everyone for sticking around so far!**

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 **CJ/OddBall – The truth is coming out. Isn't it great? Kept you waiting long enough? A lot of people I know like Tony, I am one of those people who do not. Nope, not at all.**

* * *

 **Chapter 35**

Mady and Steve were dead on their feet. Tired, out of breathe, and obviously injured, but they were alive. That was the most important part wasn't it? Mady had been right, no matter what Steve had told her. As they sat on the boat, she could see the disappointment appear on his face. She knew the minute they touched down, he was going to explode or something. She needed to tell him everything, before she lost him for good. No more hiding. No more secrets.

"The both of you deserve some R and R," Fury announced, his eye resting firmly on Mady. "I'll let the both of you know when we need you. That won't be for at least four weeks. Enjoy yourselves and don't do anything stupid while you have time off."

"Yes, sir," Mady nodded, looking up at Steve quickly. "Do you trust me?" she wasn't sure what hurt more, the look on his face, or the lack of a response, but for some reason, he grabbed onto her hand, disappearing from the Helicarrier to the front porch of a house familiar to them both. Sighing loudly, Mady knocked on the door.

"I was wondering when the two of you would show up," the elderly woman answered the front door. "They've been showing footage all day on the news. C'mon in and relax. I'm sure you could use it after the crazy day you've had."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hewitt," Steve said as they entered the house.

"Steve, how many times do I have to tell you? Call me, Linda." She looked between the two of them. Someone was off.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he shuffled back and forth on his feet unsure of what to do. This was awkward. He wanted to get Mady alone and talk to her. Having her parents there wasn't what he wanted.

"There are towels and clean clothes upstairs for the both of you," Linda told them. "Food will be ready within the hour," Linda was stunned at how quickly Mady bolted up the stairs, leaving Steve and her alone. "Did something happen, Steve?"

"No," he answered a tad too quickly. "Nothing happened."

* * *

It was the quickest shower Mady had ever taken. When she used to come back from a mission, she would lounge in the tub for a good hour before taking a nice long nap, but not this time. She wanted out quick so she could get to her spot and think. She pulled on a light sweater and jeans, jogging her way out back to the swing overlooking the lake.

Steve on the other hand did take a long time to shower. There were so many things going on in his mind, and he had no idea what to do. Mady had been right. When the adrenaline wore off, he couldn't help but think about everything that happened in the last couple of hours.

His girlfriend had been working with S.H.I.E.L.D for only God knew how long. She had superpowers, but what hurt him the most, was the fact that she kept it from him for so long. They had been together for years and she never mentioned any of it.

He made his way down into the kitchen where Linda was busy making food for them, receiving questioning glances every now and then from the woman. Something Steve did not want. He didn't want her or Marcus to question him or be upset with him. He liked them too much.

"By the look of things, it seems like there's something going on between the two of you," Marcus announced flipping through the paper from the kitchen table. "She didn't tell you about her gifts did she? Well, give her a chance to explain, Steve. I know how it must feel, but Madalyn has her reasons."

"Everyone has their reasons," Steve responded, eyeing her through the kitchen window. Some of the trees had been cleared out the last him he was there. "I just feel like I was betrayed. We've known each other for years, and she didn't say anything. Not once. It makes me wonder if she is hiding anything else from me."

"Go talk to her, son. All will be cleared up."

* * *

Mady had forgotten how peaceful it was sitting in the swing, watching the clouds roll by from the gentle breeze. She almost wanted to pack everything up and come back. Back to the easy life, but that wasn't possible anymore. Not with everything that had just happened.

"Is this seat taken?" Mady shrugged, arms wrapped around her legs.

"It's yours if you want it," she whispered, her eyes not leaving the sky. "If not, you could probably take one of dad's cars and get out of here. He won't mind. I wouldn't blame you if you left."

"I don't know," he took a deep breath, sitting on the other side of the swing. "It's nice out here. It's quiet. We're away from danger. So?"

"So?" Mady sniffed, glancing at him, tears welding up in her eyes. This was it. He was going to leave and never come back. He was going to leave her for good. Maybe she should have listened to Maria, Nat, her brother, Sam; literally anyone who told her to tell Steve the truth months ago.

"I feel like some explaining is long overdue," Steve said. "I mean, Fury gave us at least a month off to recharge. I have all the time in the world to hear your story."

"W-where would you like me to start?"

"The beginning is always a good place I think," he answered, taking her hands in his. "I'm not mad at you. Not anymore. I just want to understand, to know the truth."

"I was four-years-old," she started after a moment of silence. "I was playing out here by myself, running around, chasing the butterflies when I came across a baby bird right under this tree. Its wings were broken. It fell from the tree trying to fly I think. I felt so bad for the little thing, so I picked it up and ran towards the house, telling the bird it would be okay. In my mind I kept thinking about making the bird better. All of a sudden the bird flew out of my hands," Mady smiled sadly at the robin that landed on her finger. "I can heal almost anything, but I can't heal myself which is very unfortunate sometimes. I told you that already though."

"Okay, that explains the healing which is very useful by the way," Steve nodded, glad to know she was telling him the truth. "But there are two more, maybe three more pieces to the puzzle."

"Telekinesis and Apparating came together."

"You call it Apparating?" Steve asked. "From Harry Potter?"

"You finally read it? About time," Mady laughed. "What else would I call it? It's jumping from place to place in milliseconds. Apparating is perfect. Teleporting is boring."

"Point taken."

"Anyway," Mady continued. "It was a few years later and we were all on vacation in the mountains. My brothers and I were playing hide and seek in the backyard, and I was hiding in my hiding spot."

"They forgot about you?" she nodded.

"I just thought I was really good at the game," Mady said. "While I was waiting for them to find me, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful the falling leaves looked. Almost the entire forests' leaves had fallen down that day, but when the moon came out and the animals started making sounds; it freaked out six-year-old me."

"I bet," Steve replied. "Where did you end up?"

"Right in the middle of the kitchen. Everyone freaked out."

"Okay, that explained the powers, but what about the connections to S.H.I.E.L.D?"

"Um, can I answer that after we eat? I'm starving?" she asked, hopping off of the wing. "I'm sure you are running on empty."

"I could eat so much right now," he grabbed her arm. "There's just one more answer I need from you first."

"I'll answer the rest of your questions," she reassured him. "Just let me get something in my stomach- oh, Steve." Mady covered her mouth at the sight of him kneeling before her. How could he still want to ask her after everything?

"I was sure Natasha blew my secret when you arrived with Fury in Sokovia. Whether or not you heard, well, I'm almost glad we had a battle going on to put that on the backburner. Yes, I was mad that you kept all of this a secret from me, but I can tell that what you told me was the truth. And watching you fight over there that was amazing. We make a good team," he beamed, pulling a small, black box from his pant pocket. Inside was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. "And I want us to be an even better one. Will you marry me, Madalyn Rose Hewitt? Rose, I think I get it now."

"After everything that's happened between us?" the familiar stinging sensation filling her eyes. "Steve, are you sure?"

"This just made everything more clear to me," he said. "Now if I were you, I'd answer soon because your parents are watching us."

Mady couldn't find her voice. Nothing could get passed the lump that formed in her throat. All she could do was shake her head yes and wrap her arms around him while he held her while she cried.

"I love you, Mady, no matter what," he whispered into her hair, squeezing her tightly. "Nothing will ever change that. Now about that food?"

"Let's go," Mady wiped her tears away. "Mom will want to start talking about wedding plans the minute we walk through the door."

"That's what mothers do," Steve slid the ring onto her finger. "Perfect fit. My mother would be proud."

"Your mother? This is her ring?"

"It is similar to hers," he told her. "It looks perfect on you. My mother would have loved you, and she would be so proud of the both of us. C'mon, I am starving."

"You're always starving," she nudged his shoulder. "Mom made baby back ribs."

"Sounds wonderful," he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I hope she made a lot."

"Enough to feed an army."

* * *

Mady was right. As soon as they walked in through the back door, her mom was all over her in tears. Her dad tried to hide his but nothing could get passed her.

"I can't believe my baby is getting married," Linda gushed, passing the coleslaw around the table. "Steve, I was wondering when you were going to get around to ask her."

"Mom, you said that seventeen times now," Mady informed her. "I'm sure you said the same thing to Jake and Mark when they got engaged. You knew?"

"But that was different, Madalyn," Linda replied, ignoring her daughter's question. "They're boys. You are our only daughter. It's a much bigger deal. Just don't tell your brothers I said that. Oh, I can't wait to talk about dresses, and cake, and venues; this is so exciting! But you must pick a date first."

"Mom, it hasn't even been an hour," Mady said. "Calm down. Why do I feel like eloping would be the way to go?"

"Don't even think about it, little lady," Marcus pointed to her with his fork. "I've been waiting years to walk you down the aisle."

"Don't worry, sir. Eloping is not going to happen," Steve spoke. "She's just kidding."

"Glad to hear it, son," Marcus smiled, raising his glass. "Besides, my daughter deserves more than that. Doesn't she, Steve?"

"Absolutely."

Could her fiancée be any more perfect? Fiancée, she liked the sound of that.

"Also," Mady continued. "With everything that's going on this might be a long engagement. A really, really long engagement."

"I'm sure there will be time, sweetheart," Linda patted her daughter's hand. "There's always time. Unless-how long did Fury give you?"

"At least a month," she answered automatically. "Then he'll want us back at base."

"Base?" Steve was confused. "Where? The last base was the Triskelion in D.C."

"Upstate New York," Mady grinned. "They've been building it since the fall. Looks pretty good. You're going to love it. Mom, it's not like we can get married before we go back."

"Why not?"

"What?" her eyes grew wide. "I can't ask you to do that."

"I would marry you tomorrow if you wanted," Steve answered. "If there's anything I learned since I came out of the ice; it's not to take anything for granted. I've waited long enough to be this happy. For all we know, another alien race could attack us tomorrow and end the world."

"Those aliens better not," the chair screeching back as she reached across the table, pulling him into a kiss. She didn't care if her parents were there. "Do you know how amazing you are?"

"I've been told once or twice," he smirked.

"You are so cocky."

"You must be rubbing off on me. But that would only be allowed if it's all right with your parents of course. I wouldn't want to spring anything on them last minute."

"Are you kidding? Last minute decisions are our specialty," Marcus chuckled.

"Do you think Mark and Jake will be free either next weekend or the next? I know they would want to be in attendance."

"I'm sure they'll be able to change their plans if they're busy," Linda said. "Oh this is so exciting!"

"Really, mom? I had no idea," Mady remarked.

"She gets that from me you know," Marcus told Steve.

* * *

The sun had set, Marcus and Linda had gone off to bed, leaving Mady and Steve alone in front of the fireplace, snuggling as close to each other as possible.

"You didn't have to do that you know," Mady rested her head on his shoulder.

"Do what?"

"Say that you would marry me tomorrow if you could."

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked. "You thought I made that speech just to butter your parents up? No way. The world is a lot stranger, and the chances of the universe ending are more likely, and I don't like it. But if I can spend the rest of my days on God's green earth with you by my side no matter how long or short that may be; you better believe I will."

"You are really good at speeches, you know that. It's really impressive."

"It's no big deal really."

"How did I get so lucky? Landing a guy like you?" she wondered. "Does this mean we have to start making plans?"

"It might be a good idea," Steve agreed. "Do you have any?"

"Not yet," she shook her head. "I do believe I owe you another story. The one about how I sometimes work with S.H.I.E.L.D. However, I think Fury is going to want to keep me now, but I don't really mind that anymore."

"Do I need popcorn for this story?"

"You're still hungry?" Mady was dumbfounded. "You practically ate the entire cow!"

"We did just rescue hundreds of civilians from a floating city," he shrugged. "Go ahead. On with the story."

"All right," she began. "Kelly, a group of friends, and I decided to go on a Mediterranean vacation before we started Med school. We were in Italy which was beautiful. Anyway, we were leaving the hotel to go sightseeing. Kelly and I went to the Sistine Chapel while the others went to do their own thing. We got there and to our surprise, the place was closed for renovations. I was so upset. All that way for a not so closed, closed door."

"You went in didn't you?"

"What were the chances of us ever going again? And we were a bit rebellious back in those days?"

"And you're not now?" Steve asked.

"Very funny," Mady nudged him in the side. "Do you want me to finish the story or not?"

"Oh, please go on," he wrapped the nearest blanket around them. "I feel like we are going to be here for a while."

"You're no fun. So we went in and let me tell you, going into a chapel when no one else in there is something to behold. It was beautiful, but after a few minutes Kelly got bored and left to get something to eat across the street."

"Kelly isn't an admiring history type."

"Not really," she continued. "But she came with me so I wouldn't be alone, even though I was anyway. If I was smart I would have left with her, but I didn't. Something was pulling me in to stay. Then all of a sudden these guys in black burst through the back doors fighting for their lives."

"Hydra?"

"Who knows? Could have been, but one guy, it ended up being Nick Fury, was outnumbered, four-to-one, and looked like he needed help-"

"You helped Nick Fury?"

"Saved his life actually," she responded. "But I guess after that he saw potential in me and told be all about S.H.I.E.L.D. I told him right there that I didn't want any part in the agency. I would help if they needed it, but that would not be my life."

"That makes sense," Steve let out a yawn. "How many people know your affiliations with S.H.I.E.L.D?"

"Part of S.H.I.E.L.D by itself or Mady and the Rose are the same person?"

"There's a difference?"

"Hell yeah there's a difference. Before all of this only six people knew that Madalyn Hewitt and Rose were on in the same, but not I have a feeling that that number has increased greatly."

"Hm," the clock on the wall struck midnight. "I think that's enough for today. Thank you for telling me all of this."

"You're welcome," Mady's eyes fluttered closed. "If you want to know anything else or have more questions ask me. I'm done keeping secrets from you."

"I'll remember that. Should we go upstairs?"

"But I'm so comfortable," she whined. "You're like a teddy bear. We should just sleep here."

"Is that allowed?"

"Really, Rogers?" she asked, snuggled closer into his chest. "Don't ask questions, just go to sleep. We deserve it."

"Yeah we do," he agreed, shifting his body into a comfortable position. "I love you."

"I love you too."


	36. Chapter 36

**One more chapter to go! Where has the time gone? I'll put out a big thank you in for the next chapter, but thank you all for sticking with the story. Kind of got inspired from watching Say Yes to the Dress, kind of. As for the sequel, I need some ideas. I have a concept of where I want to go, but I would love some more stuff.**

 **Also, I know some people would like to know what the dress would look like. Here's what I found:** **theknot** **fashion/ 15582-christina-wu-wedding-dress**

 **If copy and paste method doesn't work, send me a message and I'll send it to you that way.**

 **Girostritron – Isn't it wonderful?**

 **Digidestined10 – So cute!**

 **ColorGuardianoftheGalaxy – I don't know what to say. That has to be the best thing I have ever read/sang/listen to in my whole life. You are my favorite person right now!**

 **Shannon K – Really? I had no idea that pork baby back ribs came from a pig that it made of pork. That's incredible! It's a joke my friend. Just making fun of Steve and how much he eats. You don't need to look that much into it.**

 **Ziggy55 – Thank you thank you!**

 **Ninavs2 – It's wonderful isn't it?**

 **Princess2016 – Nope, this one and then one more.**

 **Semper Paratus – Piles of gooey feelings is great! I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

 **CJ/OddBall – I love reactions like yours. That means I did my job. As for the relationship between Bucky and Mady, you'll just have to wait for the next story which will be a while yet. I need to figure out how I want to incorporate Mady into that storyline. I have some ideas, but nothing is set in stone.**

* * *

 **Chapter 36**

"I'm not sure how I feel about this one," Mady spun around in front of the mirror. "It's too….what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Poofy?"

"Boring?"

"Ugly?"

"I am so glad I brought you along with me," she sighed. "Mom, why couldn't I have any sisters? They would be much more helpful with this situation."

"Excuse us?" Lisa, Jess, Kelly, and Jamie said. "Are we invisible? However, I would agree with them. This dress is not you. At all."

"I am glad that's settled." Mady stepped down from the stool. "C'mon, Kelly, we have one more to try on. I hope you know what you're doing. I don't think I can try on anymore dresses."

"Trust me, this is the one," she smiled. "This one has Madalyn Rose Rogers written all over it."

"I'll be the judge of that."

After taking off the previous dress, Kelly helped her best friend into the final dress on the rack. She knew this was the one. It was form-fitting with lace and the right amount of bling, all of the things she knew Mady wanted.

"Oh my god," Mady gasped, hands flying over her mouth. "Kelly, this is it. This is my wedding dress."

"I told you, didn't I?" Kelly grinned, hugging her tightly. "Come on, let's go show the others. They are going to die."

"Not the word I would use," Mady commented, following her out the door to her mom and sisters-in-law. "But there will be tears."

There were tears.

Linda couldn't speak.

Lisa and Jess started to cry.

Jamie couldn't have smiled any wider.

This was her dress.

"I told you this was the one," Kelly tied Mady's hair up quickly to make sure the overall look was indeed perfect. "What do you think, mama Hewitt? Does your daughter look like a bride or what?"

"She looks like a princess," she sobbed. "If you're father was here he would be crying too."

"That's why I didn't bring him," Mady said. "I can only handle so many people crying at one time."

"Is this your dress?" they all asked her.

"Yes!" she exclaimed.

* * *

Mady was amazed at how much they were able to get done in two weeks. At first she thought there was no way they would be able to get everything set up to have a wedding, but there she was, standing in front of the mirror in her room, waiting for her dad to come get her so they could walk down the aisle.

"I can't believe my baby girl is finally getting married. Jared even beat you. No one would have guessed that," Marcus wiped a stray tear away. "You look beautiful. Steve is one lucky man."

"I'm the lucky one, dad," Mady looked over herself once more before shaking her head. "I'm ready. It still baffles me that we got all this done. Everything looks so beautiful. Almost like a fairy tale."

"Just like you imagined it when you were a little girl, and there's only one thing missing from it," Marcus offered her his arm. "Let's get you married."

Together, they exited the house and made their way out to the backyard. Mady couldn't have asked for a better day. There was no cloud in the sky, and the sun was shining down on the twenty guests she could see waiting for her by the lake.

Twenty people, now that had to be a record. But the less people that knew she and Steve were getting married the better off they would be. She could only imagine what would happen if word got out.

But what Mady couldn't believe was how beautiful the transformation of the backyard was. No matter how many times she looked at it, she couldn't help but marvel at the decorations as she walked through the grass towards the small section of chairs facing the trellis full of roses.

Everything looked absolutely perfect, but the icing on the cake was the man waiting for her at the altar. Steve Rogers was an attractive man. There was no denying that, but there was something about him standing there in a tux that made her heart swoon like it never had before. This man was going to be her husband. How did she get so lucky?

"Take care of my baby girl, Steve," Marcus told him once they reached him. "Super Soldier you might be, but that doesn't mean I won't come after you if you step out of line."

"I wouldn't dream of it, sir," Steve replied, taking Mady's hand. "You look gorgeous."

"Thank you, you look pretty good yourself." She hoped someone snapped a few pictures of him crying when she walked down the aisle.

There words of the officiant flowed in one ear and out the other, the couple never truly paying attention to what he was saying; only focusing on the man in front of her, the man who would be her husband in a matter of minutes. It was when the officiant pronounced them man and wife that her mind came back to the reality. Just in time to kiss her husband.

What a wonderful kiss it was.

"I love you," Steve couldn't help but kiss her again, dipping her down low. "I love you so much, Mrs. Rogers."

"I love you too, Mr. Rogers," the fluttering in her stomach wouldn't stop.

"Let her breath, man," Jared hollered from the front row. "Save it for later, some of us want to eat."

"Weren't you eating something before we got started?" Mady asked.

"Yeah, but that was hours ago," her brother jumped to his feet. "Come on, people, let's eat!"

* * *

"They look so happy," Linda rested her head on her husband's shoulder as they watched her daughter and son-in-law dance in the middle of the make-shift dance floor. "I'm so glad everything worked out."

"Did you have a doubt?" Marcus asked.

"A little bit when they came back from Sokovia," she answered. "And then there was the time when-"

"You worry too much, sweetheart," the old man chuckled, kissing her temple. "That's all in the past. Look at them; nothing is going to break these two up."

"All right, you two, that's enough," Jared plopped into the empty chair beside his parents. "We only need one lovey-dovey couple today, and it's not you two. I don't want to have nightmares tonight."

"We can be whatever we want to be, young man. Where's Jamie?"

"She had to run off to the bathroom," Jared said. "She's been feeling off the entire weekend."

"I hope she's all right," Linda looked at her boy, concerned.

"She'll be all right. She has a doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon," he said. "Hi, honey. We were just taking about you."

"That's not good," Jamie sighed, sitting on his lap. "Today was absolutely wonderful wasn't it? I am amazed at how we got everything done in time, and that dress! Did you see Steve's face when he saw her for the first time? Tell me you got that on camera!"

"Of course I did," Linda smiled. "What do you take me for?"

"I was just making sure. Did they say where they were going tonight?"

"Nope," Marcus answered. "All I know is Madalyn said that she was taking him someplace special before they travel across the world for the next week and a half."

"I wonder where she's taking him."

"That's for me to know, and for you to keep guessing," Mady and Steve appeared behind her talking family members. "We're going to get going, but I wanted to see you guys before we head out. Who knows when we'll see you again."

"Now?" Jared asked. "It's only ten-thirty."

"Exactly, and everyone else left," Mady commented, hugging her mother and father tightly. "Thank you all. This was a dream come true."

"You don't have to thank us for anything, dear. We are just so glad that you're happy. Steven, don't let her do anything too crazy now. I don't want to have a heart attack when you come back."

"I'll keep her in line, Linda," he hugged them both as well.

"Tell him soon," Mady whispered into Jamie's ear when she pulled away from her embrace. "Call me."

"No, you call me, and send me pictures."

"Blah, blah, blah," Jared rolled his eyes. "You and your girl talk. Get out of here all ready."

"Love you too, little brother," she hugged him the tightest. "Be good, and don't do anything stupid when I'm gone."

"No promises."

"Always reassuring, ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Steve answered. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," she grinned. "Bye guys. We'll see you for a bit when we get back, and before we go back to New York."

"You better, young lady."


	37. Chapter 37

**Here it is the last chapter of Rose! This chapter is shorter, and there is also a time jump near the end.**

 **A giant thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. You all are absolutely amazing! I hope you all come back for the continuation of Mady and Steve's journey. Please note that that story will be under the Captain America category.**

 **Silver-Tongued Writer Girl – Wow, that is such nice compliment. Thank you so much! I hope I can wrap everything up into a nice bow for you in the end.**

 **Digidestined10 – Adorable right?**

 **Megan – Thank you so much! That means a lot to me.**

 **CJ/OddBall – Tears are what I live for! Means I did my job. I'll take small suggestions even, small bits of something or another that you want to see in the next story. I appreciate that. As you can see I made a comment to "guest". Please note that they needed to be anonymous as they say how they did not like my story. You can't please everyone, I know that, most people know that, but I still find it funny that they said they would leave, but commented again several chapters later.**

 **Lenabui98 – Yay! I hope you enjoy the ending!**

 **Guest – Am I supposed to be upset by your reviews? Everyone is allowed to their opinions, so I don't know why you decided to say the same thing five separate times. You said you were giving up after chapter 25, why did you continue to read the story if you didn't like it?**

* * *

 **Chapter 37**

Mady knew for a long time, the feelings that Nat harbored for the nerdy scientist. After Sokovia, she couldn't help but feel sorry for her friend. Wherever Bruce was, he didn't want to be found. Even using Stark's insane technology, there was nothing.

"Hey," she placed a hand on Nat's shoulder. "Everything is going to be all right. Maybe Bruce just needs some time to think some things through. Don't give up; things will work out in the end."

"I doubt it," her shoulders dropped. "You know how Bruce is. He's running away from something that scares him, something that he can't control. We're never going to see him again, and if we do, it's because he wants to be seen."

"The only one who knows Bruce is himself. We both know he cares about you; he just doesn't know how to go about it. I think he just needs some time to think things over then he'll come back to you."

"Scientists are strange," she shook her head. "Not everyone can be with the ones they want right, Mrs. Rogers?"

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing that," Mady chuckled.

"Speaking of, where is he? We have work to do."

"Steve's with Tony and Thor, saying goodbye and all that jazz," she answered. "I'm going to head in. Check out the newbies. They are in for an interesting day."

"Don't go too hard on them now."

"I'll wait until we are all present to break them in, thank you," Mady pushed the doors open. "This new facility is awesome. Have I said that yet?"

"Avengers," you felt Steve's arm wrap around your waist as he called in the new recruits. "Let's get started."

"You should have said assemble. You know, like that cartoon show that's on Sunday mornings," Placing her hands on her teammate's shoulders, the three of them appeared in the middle of the group.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that," Sam commented. "Does that not freak anyone else out? No, just me?"

"I think it's because you've known me before you learned about all of this," Mady laughed. "The others knew I could do this when they met me from the very beginning."

"Doesn't make it any less weird," he said.

"Right," she made her way over to Wanda. "All right kids, we're starting off with the fun stuff. Wanda, it's you and me today."

"Why do I feel like all we're going to be doing is training?" Rhodey asked. "I didn't sign up for this."

"For now anyway, we have to know your strengths and weaknesses," Nat told him. "Lose the suit, we have work to do."

"Sam, you and Vision are with me," Steve spoke.

"If I don't come back, tell my parents I love them," Sam pouted.

"Always the exaggerator," Mady commented, watching the others go their separate ways. "I figured we'd start out easy and go from there."

"That sounds perfect," she said.

"Great," she led Wanda into the back room, away from the others. "I figured the best thing to start out with is learning control. You're powers are strong, and with control who knows what you'll be able to do."

"That sounds like a very good idea."

* * *

"How did everything go for you guys today?" Mady hollered from the bathroom as she got ready for bed. "You all were late for pizza."

"Sam was very disappointed by that," Steve chuckled, sitting on the bed.

"They're much better than the first day. The guys are showing a lot of promise. Well what do we have here? Looking good, Mrs. Rogers."

"What, this old thing? I've had this forever," she told him, taking a seat behind him, massaging out the knots in his shoulders. "Damn, soldier, these knots are huge!"

"It's been a long day."

"Mmm hmm," Mady agreed, pressing her lips in between his shoulder blades. "As much as I love this place, I think it's time to go home. What do you think?"

"I think that is a wonderful idea, Mrs. Rogers," he grinned.

Arms wrapped around one another, the couple appeared on a king-sized bed in the middle of the master bedroom facing the busy streets of Brooklyn below.

"I love this room," Steve announced after each kiss. "I am so glad you showed me this before we went to Italy."

"If I'm not mistaken, you cried like a baby for a good twenty minutes," Mady giggled, falling against his chest.

"I had something in my eye," he played with her laced-covered thighs. "You don't think anyone's going to need us tonight?"

"I don't know why they would. They know we only stay at the Compound if it's only absolutely necessary. They're not children. They don't need to be looked after twenty-four seven."

"I'm just saying," he paused. "Remember last time? Vision didn't know-"

"But Wanda was there to sort everything out," Mady interrupted.

"She's becoming your best friend, isn't she?"

"After Kelly and Nat, hell yeah! We're like two peas-in-a-pod."

"No kidding."

"So, Mr. Rogers, are we going to get down to business?"

"To defeat the Huns?"

"You are such a dork," she flicked him on the nose. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. My mother's been nagging me."

"She does know we've only been married six months right?"

"It's my mom, Steve," she said. "She loves reminding me that she's not getting any younger and I am not getting any younger."

"Linda is so nice."

"Tell me about it," she sighed. "It's even worse now that Jamie is about to pop. I'm the only one without a kid."

"Is this your way of telling me that we should stop practicing?"

"I don't know," she rolled onto her side of the bed. "I just want mom to stop bugging me about it, and if we were to stop practicing, I can guarantee you that I would be pregnant within three months."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because of your super sperm."

"Really? Super sperm? That's ridiculous."

"Just you wait, buddy. It's going to happen whether it's within a year, or four years down the road."

"I like the first option the best," he wrapped his arms around her torso. "Our home is a little quiet."

"You're serious?" her eyes widened.

"Of course I am serious. Why would I joke about something like that? So, Mrs. Rogers, what do you say? Is it time to stop practicing?"


End file.
